Month: March 2015

More good news today, as the Oklahoma Senate passed the Convention of States bill.  Since it is far broader than ours, and raises fears of a runaway that ours does not, any chamber which passes CoS will, logically, pass ours.  We look very good in Oklahoma, which would be a huge win.  My impression, from 1500 miles away, is that Dr. Coburn’s powerful endorsement made the difference.  Thank you, Doctor, and may you win your fight with cancer.  This may be the most significant service you have performed in your political career.

We passed the West Virginia Senate on a voice vote, will be heard in House Committee tomorrow, and on the House floor Saturday, the final day it can be taken up.  This is a little scary, because at this point in a session bills can die for a lot of reasons other than lack of majority support.  Republicans haven’t controlled the West Virginia Legislature in about 85 years, and they’ve got a lot on their agenda.  We will be competing, in a sense, with a lot of other legislation that they may have prioritized.  We may just run out of time.  It may depend on where we appear on Saturday’s House Calendar.  At the top, good.  At the bottom, bad.  The Speaker makes the call.

Organizing the Amendment Convention will be a challenge.  In organizing a state legislative majority, most of the members know each other.  Even freshmen know veterans by reputation.  You know who you can trust, and who you can’t.  You know who would be competent in leadership, and who would not.  99% of the time it is a partisan organization, and all the members of the majority want their party to look good and retain control of the chamber after the next election.

The Convention is a different animal.  I had a good meeting with Alaska Senate President Kevin Meyer in Juneau, and got a positive reaction to the proposal I will be promoting to assist in organizing the Convention.  If he was acquainted with legislative leadership in any other state it would be Washington, with all its ties to Alaska.  Kevin does not know, or even know of, Washington Senate President Pam Roach.  None of these people know each other.  Who can they trust?

I believe they should organize around a set of principles, which I intend to assist as a sort of go between.  I don’t think organizing around who will be the Chairman of the Convention would work.  If a group of 26 states agree to an agenda, they can have a wide open contest for leadership, and may the best person win.  To get to 26 you start with a core group, which I think should be the western states, leading off with those west of the 100th meridian.  You can get   almost half way to 26 with this core.  Add in the eastern west, the five states from North Dakota south to Texas, and you’ve got a majority of a majority, say 16 of 26.  Pick up ten more in the south, or elsewhere, and you’ve organized the Convention.  What you don’t do is have a meeting of the 31 Republican delegations and just see what happens.  All must be decided, and votes counted, in advance.

It was nice to be back in Juneau for a day.  There are three legislators still serving who were my colleagues when I was last there, 25 years ago.  Johnny Ellis, Max Gruenberg, and Lyman Hoffman, an Eskimo from Bethel.  I used to play a lot of cribbage with Lyman in the legislative lounge.  We were evenly matched, and our games were intense.  He was a character.  That’s the best thing I got out of my eight years in Juneau.

I made some friends.

George Mason drafted the precursor of the Bill of Rights in 1776.  He fought to include it in the Constitution, and when he failed he refused to sign it.  His efforts convinced the Federalists to support the Bill of Rights, and led to its adoption.

The Reagan Project announces the first two recipients of the George Mason Award:  Hal Wick of South Dakota and Kraig Powell of Utah.  When sufficient funds have been raised, a suitable plaque will be purchased and presented to them.  Future recipients will likely include Gary Banz of Oklahoma, John Overington of West Virginia, and Chris Kapenga of Wisconsin.

Mason was responsible not only for the Bill of Rights.  He also fought for Article V.  He was one of the wisest of the Founding Fathers.

Let us honor him.

Politically, the big news is the Clinton email brouhaha.  This woman is politically inept.  Her arrogance and money grubbing make her an unattractive figure, and if it were not her status as the Great Female Victim her candidacy would be laughable.  But is she really a victim?  Why did she stand by her man?  Was it not greed and ambition?

The odds against a third Obama term were always long.  With no real viable alternative to Hillary the Democrats are in disarray.  Add an election, on November 8, 2016, of delegates to BBA ratification conventions in all 50 states.  Voters, in that election, will be voting yea or nay on a Balanced Budget Amendment, brought to them courtesy of the efforts of Republicans.

This could be more than a landslide.  It could be a dam break.

The biggest news is from Oklahoma, where sponsor Rep.Gary Banz put on a bravura performance in floor debate of an hour or more, resulting in a 53-42 win.  Next to Arizona,  most of us figured our biggest test was Oklahoma, infested with Birchers.  With Dr. Coburn carrying our banner in the Senate, all of a sudden it looks real.

In Idaho HJR 18 was introduced with 35 of the 70 member House as co-sponsors.  The Senate awaits, and the implacable opposition of Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis.  Kasich and his team, especially Dave Luketic, are pulling out all the stops to convince Sen. Crapo to intervene on our behalf.  If that doesn’t work I may fly to Boise in two weeks and make the Senator an offer he can’t refuse.

In South Carolina we passed out of a Judiciary subcommittee 5-0, with both Democrats aboard.  This was the big hurdle, with subcommittee Chairman Bright the key.  Other obstacles may arise, but this was the big one.

We’re poised to pass the West Virginia Senate today, and the skepticism of the Assembly Speaker seems to be waning.  We have a bipartisan supermajority of sponsors in the Assembly, so passage is assured if we get to the floor.  Time is our enemy, with a Saturday adjournment looming.

We’re up in committee in the North Dakota Senate a week from tomorrow.  They’re moseying along in the Peace Garden State, but final passage will just be a formality.

In Wisconsin sponsor Chris Kapenga has emerged as a leader of that legislature.  He just got passed, and got signed into law, his bill making Wisconsin the 25th right to work state.  That task accomplished, he’s ready to turn his considerable energy and skills toward passage of ours.  Last year the mule headed opposition of Senator Glen Grothman beat him.  This dope is now in Congress, where he can’t do much harm, so Chris has a clear field.  On Wisconsin!

Add those states up, and we’re at 32, with Montana, Wyoming and Arizona remaining.  After I see Davis in Boise in a couple weeks I’ll be heading to Laramie, and Wyoming Senate President Phil Nicholas.  I’m going to present him with the opportunity of a lifetime.  If he accepts, and agrees to engineer a special session, on April 12th I’ll be driving to Salem, then up to Olympia, and to Helena to meet Speaker Austin Knudsen and the comely President of the Senate, Debby Barrett.  I’ll present the same offer, and if they accept, and agree to get the votes needed for a special session, I’ll be off to Salt Lake and Phoenix.  I hope to get a one on one with Senate President Andy Biggs.  That would be fun.

If this scenario doesn’t play out, it’s not the end of the world.  There’s always next year.  But we can hang this skin on the wall in a couple months.  The sooner the better, in so many ways.  Everyone is jacked.

I feel like we’re in a boat, stuck in a tidal mudflat.  We’ve seen the incoming tide.  We can feel it now, as the boat begins to rise.  And when we float, we’re free.

Decision time nears in West Virginia and Idaho.  I don’t need to be involved in these or the other five target states, so my involvement shifts from one phase to the next.  I’ll be in Juneau tomorrow night, and meet with Senate President Kevin Meyer Tuesday morning.  If that goes as well as I expect it to, we’ll head up to the third floor and see Gov. Walker and his AG.  If that goes well I intend to go to Colorado and Wyoming later this month, and to Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada in April.  A drive trip.  Nice country, and maybe good weather.  If things look good, in May I’ll probably do North Dakota south to Texas, and over to Louisiana.  Maybe a few other states if necessary.  I have family commitments in June and July, so I want to get this done, the sooner the better.

I feel good about going to Juneau.  It’s been 25 years.

Memories.