Madison Reporter

On Jan. 25, the Convention of States Project announced that Wisconsin had passed their resolution, making the Badger State the 16th state to join the call for an Article V convention.

In a release from the Convention of States, project leaders congratulated the Wisconsin team who worked tirelessly to secure the recent victory. 

The Convention of States Resolution, known as Assembly Joint Resolution 9, passed the Wisconsin Senate 17-16. It had previously passed the State Assembly in May 2021 by a vote of 58-36. 

"Times like these are precisely why the Founders created the mechanisms in Article V. Federal overreach has thrown our country into chaos, and it's time for the states to exercise their authority as granted to them in the constitution to restore order, states’ rights and limited, constitutional government,” State Rep. Dan Knodl (R-WI) said in the Convention of States release.

The resolution only allows a future Convention of States to consider Constitutional Amendments that would limit the "power and jurisdiction" of and impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, or those that would create term limits for federal officials. Thirty-four states must pass the resolution before the Convention is called.

“I'm incredibly proud that our state has officially thrown its support behind this movement,” Knodl said.

According to a video on the Convention of States website, COS works for an amending convention, not a constitutional convention. This is a significant difference because a constitutional convention seeks to completely rewrite the framework of government and deliver a new constitution, whereas an amending convention only offers particular amendments to the existing constitution. 

These amendments must then be ratified by 38 states before becoming an official part of the Constitution.

Knodl, who helped sponsor the bill, was first elected to State Assembly District 24 in 2008, Ballotpedia reports. He has continued to serve in that office since his election.