That Provident Article

This week's episode will highlight some great news for the Convention of States out of Missouri and Oklahoma. Plus, Chelsea Clinton discloses her mother's plans for the 2nd Amendment under a Hillary Clinton administration.  And the U.S. Supreme Court entertains oral arguments in the United States v. Texas case (immigration).  Where does the Convention of States fit in all of this? We'll then open up the phone lines for any questions/discussion regarding the Convention of States Project. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

We're back from a 4 week hiatus!  I have been so busy this past month that I had to take a break from the show. I'm not the only one who's been busy; our own Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, has been promoting the Convention of States and the Texas Plan in public speeches, in the media, and with the announcement of the pending publication of his autobiography "Broken But Unbowed: The Fight to Fix a Broken America". Today we'll cover news from the last four weeks, but really focus on the implications of Governor Abbott's full endoresement; his experience in challenging our overreaching federal government has given him stature and respect among all the states in our nation. After covering the news for a few minutes, I'll just open up the phone lines for any questions/discussion regarding the Convention of States Project. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through Nove

A different type of episode today, driven by events from the past week.  My friend, and partner in Liberty, Texas Co-Director and National COS Media Liaison Tamara Colbert will join me for a joint discussion regarding Michael Farris's Facebook Post/Blog from Wednesday, March 9th, "The Deadly Cost of Fear".  Michael Farris is the head of the Convention of States Project, an experienced Constitutional litigator, and has even litigated an Article V case in federal court. Tamara will present the Convention of States news from this week, and the events which led to Dr. Farris's post, which will segue directly into our joint discussion/presentation centered around the content of that post.   Our hope, and prayer, is that this presentation will serve to both educate and encourage our Convention of States warriors around the nation.  Encourage them to stand up, show up, and speak up to promote the Convention of States application as the only Constitutional means remaining to restore our representative republic form

Today's episode will be discussion of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "Texas Plan", and specifically the second section of the plan dealing with The Presidency of the United States. We'll have a news segment, to track all of the Convention of States activity occurring around the nation.  Then we'll present the second section of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "Texas Plan" and his proposed solutions to an overreaching President, any President. We'll leave some time for phone calls, for your questions and comments. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

Today we're going to imagine what this election would look like if some amendments, proposed at an Article V "convention for proposing amendments", were already ratified by 3/4ths of the states. How would the elections for Congressional representatives be affected if term limits were in effect?  What about Senate elections?  Add to that the repeal of the 17th amendment - how does that change the focus of your state elections? And what if term limits for the Supreme Court and the judiciary were in effect? The point of this conversation - the first election cycle after amendments are ratified will be radically different from any cycle we've experienced in our lifetime, and We the People will be energized and engaged as we realize the power we have with self-governance. We'll have a short news segment, to track all of the Convention of States activity occurring around the nation this week. We'll leave some time for phone calls, for your questions and comments. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention

Last Saturday Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away.  His unexpected passing has stirred political debate, and drawn attention to the meaning of the phrase "Constitutional originalist".  Both supporters and opponents of an Article V convention reference Justice Scalia in support of their own position. We're going to spend a bit of time looking at statements made by Justice Scalia in regards to an Article V convention. And we'll discuss the implications of his passing in regards to the Convention of States Project. We'll have a short news segment, to track all of the Convention of States activity occurring around the nation this week. We'll leave some time for phone calls, for your questions and comments. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

Today's episode will be open phone lines to discuss the last two weeks of activity in Texas, including the Convention of States Texas meeting with Texas Governor Greg Abbott's staff regarding "The Texas Plan". Our news segment will track Convention of States activity occurring around the nation.  Then we'll share some of the exciting things happening here in Texas which have national implications. We'll open up for phone calls right away, and fill time with the news. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

Today's episode will be discussion of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "Texas Plan", and specifically the first section of the plan dealing with The Congress of the United States. We'll have a news segment, to track all of the Convention of States activity occurring around the nation.  Then we'll present the first section of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "Texas Plan" and his proposed solutions to an overreaching Congress. We'll leave some time for phone calls, for your questions and comments. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

Today's episode will be an introduction to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "Texas Plan" We'll have a news segment, to track all of the Convention of States activity occurring around the nation.  Then we'll bring an overview of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's appeal to the Texas Legislature to pass legislation calling for a Convention of States.  We're going to leave plenty of time for phone calls, as there has been tremendous activity around the nation the last few weeks. And, I'll explain my "technical difficulties" from the past several weeks, which were actually geographic challenges while I was out of the country. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

So, you're convinced that a Convention of States via Article V is the best hope for our nation, and you're ready to help out anyway that you can.  But, where do you start?  What can you do? Today's episode will be dedicated to an interview with Stewart Collins, a Convention of States volunteer in Florida. Stewart is the epitome of a self-governing individual - in today's language, Stewart "takes initiative" rather than waiting for direction.  I first became aware of Stewart in early 2015 on Facebook; the Convention of States Project began filing legislation in multiple states in a short period of time, and it became very difficult to keep track of which States were filing, which were already in process, and which had already completed the process with his maps - he became known as "Map Guy"! I realize that with the increaed interest generated from Governor Abbott's surprise endorsement last Friday, this would be a great time for news and phone calls - unfortunately, circumstances are such that I cannot acco

A "Bonus" Episode, with apologies for the incorrect episode airing on January 16, 2016. Today's episode will be dedicated to an interview with Ben Stratmann, the Chief of Staff for Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell.  Please note the day and time for this episode (Monday, January 18, 2016), 11:30 Central Time! I realize that with the increased interest generated from Governor Abbott's surprise endorsement last Friday, this would be a great time for news and phone calls - unfortunately, circumstances are such that I cannot accommodate a podcast for news and phone calls until the end of the month.  At that time we will dedicate at least one episode exclusively to Governor Greg Abbott's inclusion of a call for a Convention of States in the "Texas Plan", the legislative priorities he has for the next session! In the meantime, please consider hearing from a Chief of Staff for a State Senator. Mr. Stratmann will share insights on how a State Legislator's office functions, and give some tips on how to best conta

So, you're convinced that a Convention of States via Article V is the best hope for our nation, and you're ready to help out anyway that you can.  But, where do you start? What can you do? Today's episode will be dedicated to an interview with Stewart Collins, a Convention of States volunteer in Florida. Stewart is the epitome of a self-governing individual - in today's language, Stewart "takes initiative" rather than waiting for direction.  I first became aware of Stewart in early 2015 on Facebook; the Convention of States Project began filing legislation in multiple states in a short period of time, and it became very difficult to keep track of which States were filing, which were already in process, and which had already completed the process with his maps - he became known as "Map Guy"! I realize that with the increased interest generated from Governor Abbott's surprise endorsement last Friday, this would be a great time for news and phone calls - unfortunately, circumstances are such that I cannot acco

Today's episode will be dedicated to an interview with Martin Harry, the Legislative Liaison for the Texas Convention of States Project.  No news segment, no phone calls. Mr. Harry will share insights on the responsibilities of the Legislative Liaison, and how supporters and District Captains can best help the Legislative Liaison. That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

The Convention of States mission statement is “To urge and empower state legislators to call a Convention of States to propose amendments to the Constitution to curb the abuses of the federal government.” The only participants with actual authority to accomplish this task are the state legislators. Almost every state legislator is a member of a political party. How does this inform us in terms of fulfilling our mission? Last week we described some specific reasons which may prompt you to get involved with a political party.  This week we will delve into the process of constructing, defending, and approving a political party's platform.  How do you get started?  Where does a platform come from?  How will my participation in the party assist me in now influencing the platform? We'll spend a little bit of time with Convention of States news first.  And save some time for phone calls. "That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since

The Convention of States mission statement is “To urge and empower state legislators to call a Convention of States to propose amendments to the Constitution to curb the abuses of the federal government.” The only participants with actual authority to accomplish this task are the state legislators. Almost every state legislator is a member of a political party. How does this inform us in terms of fulfilling our mission? We will discuss the opportunity we have to use the COS grassroots enthusiasm to participate in, and influence, the political parties. We'll spend a little bit of time with Convention of States news first.  And save some time for phone calls. We'll also close the show with Madison Rising's "Soldier's Christmas". "That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

Our 5th, and final, installment of our examination of the history behind the phrase "Constitutional Convention", as it has been, and continues to be, applied to describe the Constitution's Article V State authorized amending mode, a "convention for proposing amendments". Last week we discussed the 1960's campaign, led by Senator Everett Dirksen, to promote an amending convention focused on overturning the apportionment rulings of an activist Supreme Court, and the responses from the likes of Senators Joseph Tydings, Robert Kennedy, William Proxmire, and Jacob Javits.  This final look at the fruits of the disinformation campaign will pick up with the influence of Senator Robert Kennedy and his political clout, the continuing presence of Yale Law Professor Charles Black, and culminating in the opposition successfully rebranding the phrase "convention to propose amendments" into the politically charged phrase "Constitutional Convention", as a means to counteract the Balanced Budget Amendment movement of the lat

Part 4 of our examination of the history behind the phrase "Constitutional Convention", as it has been, and continues to be, applied to describe the Constitution's Article V State authorized amending mode, a "convention for proposing amendments". We will pick up right where we left off last week, following the coordinated disinformation campaign from prominent progressive law professors, through the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, high-profile Senators like Joseph Tydings, Robert Kennedy, William Proxmire, and Jacob Javits. How has the prominence of the phrase affected the view of Article V? We'll spend a little bit of time with Convention of States news first.  And save some time for phone calls. "That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

Part 3 of our examination of the history behind the phrase "Constitutional Convention", as it has been, and continues to be, applied to describe the Constitution's Article V State authorized amending mode, a "convention for proposing amendments". This episode will dive into the initial motive behind introducing the phrase "Constitutional Convention", and the key players involved in promoting that phrase. How has the prominence of the phrase affected the view of Article V? We'll spend a little bit of time with Convention of States news first.  And save some time for phone calls. "That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend than to learn some of the history behind the phrase "Constitutional Convention", as it has been, and continues to be, applied to describe the Constitution's Article V State authorized amending mode, a "convention for proposing amendments"? We'll spend some time referencing multiple original source documents from hundreds of Article V State applications for an amending convention, asking the questions why, and how, the description was changed to "Constitutional Convention", and begin discussion of the implications of this change in nomenclature. We'll spend a little bit of time with Convention of States news first.  And save some time for phone calls. "That Provident Article" is hosted by Convention of States Texas volunteer Paul Hodson, with the Convention of States since late 2013, a District Captain in Texas from February 2014 through November 2015, and now serving as Co-Director for the Convention of States Texas.

Today's episode will begin a series considering the phrase "Constitutional Convention", as it has been used for decades to describe the second mode of amending the Constitution as defined in Article V.  This will be an introductory presentation, laying some basic ground work, highlighting both opponents and proponents of an Article V "convention for proposing amendments" using the phrase "Constitutional Convention", and beginning the discussion regarding whether that is helpful, or harmful, to the understanding of the meaning of Article V. The news segment will be a bit longer, as we missed last week's news, so we have two weeks of news to cover. We will definitely allow time for phone calls as well.