Eagle Forum: 200 W 3rd St., Ste. 502 • Alton, IL 62002 • 618-433-8990

INDIANA — The New Con of the Con Con Lobby



Indiana Compact Gimmick Moves to the House — Letters Needed!

Eagle Forum National Constitutional Issues Chairman

Janine Hansen, 775-397-6859, director@nevadafamilies.org

www.eagleforum.orgeagle@eagleforum.org

January 28, 2026, In the Year of Our Lord

 

From Judi Calerjudicaler@hotmail.com

 

Jan. 28, 2026. The compact gimmick passed the Indiana Senate on Jan. 22 and has now moved to the House.

This is part of a concerted effort from the entire CON Lobby—from ALEC on down—to push delegate bills of all varieties this year. The objective is to convince states—especially rescinded states or those that might consider rescission—that if a majority of states (26) pass delegate bills, it would be impossible for the convention to run away. Of course, this is nonsense, since the Delegates wouldn't be subject to state law. After pounding State Legislatures for a decade, the CON Lobby has been unable to convince enough states that a convention won't run away. Of late, they have lost ground to a barrage of states passing Rescission resolutions, and the momentum has turned against them. In fact, today over 1/3 of the states hold no applications whatsoever—the highest number in over a hundred years! That's because more and more states are trying to prevent the calling of what could be a runaway convention.

Desperate to trigger a constitutional convention while they can, proponents have cast about for new ways to convince state legislators that a convention called by Congress under Art. V can't run away. The latest of these is SB 210, written by Michael Farris of Convention of States. It's now pending in the Indiana House Judiciary Committee. This bill would seek to create an interstate compact among willing states to constrain an Art. V convention.

The proposed compact would be an agreement between states that an Article. V convention would operate on a one-state-one-vote basis. Also, it would seek to limit a convention to topics raised in Article V applications submitted by at least two-thirds of the states. But since there is no such thing as a limited convention under Art. V, the compact (like delegate bills) would fail to prevent a runaway convention.

This is nothing more than a marketing gimmick designed to trick legislators in states without applications into voting for new applications.

Let's go get 'em!

The Legislation

Here is the legislation we oppose in the Indiana House:

SB 210 (Delegate control compact). Passed the Senate. Pending in the House Judiciary Committee. A hearing can be scheduled at any time with little notice.

Your House Letter

 Talking Points and short messages are at the end of this blast.

 Note: Often links, associated paragraphs, and/or suggested short messages within each blast have been updated or are appropriate for that particular blast only. So make sure any suggestions you copy for the purpose of this blast, are from the sections below— and not from a former blast.

Please send a letter as soon as possible to all 100 Indiana Representatives, and urge them to VOTE "NO" on SB 210.

 Copy the addresses below as a block into “BCC,” and copy your own address into the “To” box; and place the bill# and description on the subject line. Something simple like "VOTE NO on SB 210 (Art. V compact)" will work.

House Addresses

House Republicans (70)—Dear Representative: (If you're a Republican or conservative, tell the Republicans so!) 

h18@iga.in.govh11@iga.in.govh44@iga.in.govh56@iga.in.govh74@iga.in.govh68@iga.in.govh91@iga.in.govh45@iga.in.govh81@iga.in.govh25@iga.in.govh72@iga.in.govh13@iga.in.govh54@iga.in.govh16@iga.in.govh58@iga.in.govh5@iga.in.govh70@iga.in.govh41@iga.in.govh31@iga.in.govh47@iga.in.govh57@iga.in.govh62@iga.in.govh46@iga.in.govh85@iga.in.gov,

h64@iga.in.govh37@iga.in.govh90@iga.in.govh51@iga.in.govh88@iga.in.govh17@iga.in.govh83@iga.in.govh30@iga.in.govh49@iga.in.govh59@iga.in.govh53@iga.in.govh75@iga.in.govh79@iga.in.govh63@iga.in.govh39@iga.in.govh69@iga.in.govh23@iga.in.govh65@iga.in.govh60@iga.in.govh93@iga.in.govh76@iga.in.govh73@iga.in.govh48@iga.in.govh84@iga.in.gov,

h42@iga.in.govh78@iga.in.govh19@iga.in.govh55@iga.in.govh66@iga.in.govh36@iga.in.govh33@iga.in.govh20@iga.in.govh35@iga.in.govh29@iga.in.govh15@iga.in.govh52@iga.in.govh24@iga.in.govh22@iga.in.govh4@iga.in.govh40@iga.in.govh50@iga.in.govh7@iga.in.govh28@iga.in.govh38@iga.in.govh21@iga.in.govh67@iga.in.gov,

 

House Democrats (30)—Dear Representative:

 

h12@iga.in.govh95@iga.in.govh6@iga.in.govh9@iga.in.govh77@iga.in.govh26@iga.in.govh71@iga.in.govh86@iga.in.govh8@iga.in.govh34@iga.in.govh32@iga.in.govh80@iga.in.govh89@iga.in.govh87@iga.in.govh2@iga.in.govh3@iga.in.govh1@iga.in.govh100@iga.in.govh27@iga.in.govh82@iga.in.govh97@iga.in.govh10@iga.in.govh92@iga.in.govh43@iga.in.govh61@iga.in.govh96@iga.in.govh94@iga.in.govh98@iga.in.govh14@iga.in.govh99@iga.in.gov,

 

Thank you for defending our Constitution!

Talking Points—for Either Party

 Choose just one or write your own.

Note: Often links, their associated paragraphs, and/or suggested short messages within each blast have been updated or are appropriate for that particular blast only. So make sure any suggestions you copy for the purpose of this blast, are from the sections below— and not from a former blast:

The Momentum is for Rescinding—not Passing Applications! In the past decade, States have been rescinding their applications three times faster than new states are passing them, because of valid concerns about a runaway convention. Desperate to trigger a constitutional convention while they still can, proponents created an interstate compact by which State Legislatures agree to put constraints on convention Delegates. But since no one has power to control the Delegates, the compact would fail to prevent a runaway convention. It is nothing more than a marketing gimmick designed to trick legislators into voting for applications. Indiana should be rescinding its applications, instead of entering into compacts which trick other states into risking our Constitution!

"State Legislatures have no power to select & control Delegates" shows that Congress decides the number and selection process for Delegates. Furthermore, Delegates have the "self-evident" Right "to alter or to abolish” our existing "Form of Government," as expressed by the Declaration of Independence, 2nd para. So, no one has power over Delegates! But lobbyists push feckless delegate control bills and interstate compacts in order to falsely assure legislators that the convention can't run away. State Legislatures have no power over Delegates—no matter how many compacts they make or delegate bills they pass.

Pursuant to Article V, the convention is the deliberate body "for proposing Amendments." State Legislatures may only apply to Congress for a convention. Therefore, State Legislatures cannot dictate Amendments to be considered at an Art. V Convention. But convention operatives push feckless delegate control bills and unconstitutional interstate compacts in order to falsely assure legislators that they'll control the convention—so it can't run away. It's a marketing gimmick to sell applications that would risk our Constitution.

"What the Convention Lobby Isn't Telling You About the Declaration of Independence” shows why Delegates to an Article V convention have the power to throw off the Constitution we have and set up a new one, with a new and easier mode of ratification. Compact or no compact, delegate laws or no delegate laws: State Legislatures can't prevent a runaway convention.

 "WHO has the POWER to do WHAT under Article V..." shows that the only power State Legislatures have been granted by the Constitution respecting an Article V Convention, is to apply to Congress for Congress to call the convention. Delegates perform a federal function when they convene at an Art. V constitutional convention. They aren't subject to state law (e.g., delegate bills) or compacts between State Legislatures pretending to control them.

 Suggestions for Follow-Up Letters, Calls, or When Time is Short

These points work when time is short or for follow-up letters. Or write your own. Ask the Representatives to Vote "NO" on SB 210.

1. State Legislatures can't control Delegates to an Art. V Convention—with or without compacts like SB 210.

2. There's no such thing as a limited convention. The compact is a gimmick, to falsely assure state legislators that they can prevent a runaway convention.

3. Delegates to a Convention called under Art. V would have more power than State Legislatures and Congress put together. They could rewrite our Constitution, with or without a compact!

4. Since delegates to an Art V convention can't be controlled by State Legislatures, 26 State Legislatures entering into a compact with each other, can't control Delegates either. An interstate "compact" is nothing more than a marketing ploy to trick legislators in other states into passing unpopular Article V applications.

5. No compact or delegate law can change the fact that State Legislatures are granted no power under the US Constitution regarding an Article V Convention, except to ask Congress to call a convention. Period.

6. No one has the power to control Delegates to a federal convention called by Congress to amend the U.S. Constitution. Neither Congress nor convention Delegates are bound by agreements between states.

7. State Legislatures can't get around the US Constitution by joining a compact to control Delegates to an amendments-proposing convention. No one has the power to limit the Delegates.

8. SB 210 is a gimmick to pretend a convention called by Congress can't run away, in order to pass applications in states that are rightfully concerned about a runaway convention.

9. Indiana should be rescinding their applications, rather than entering into compacts that trick other states into risking our Constitution.


Further Information:

 


No comments:

Post a Comment

Keep comments short. Long comments will be deleted.