Committee hears hours of testimony on Article V convention resolution for congressional term limits

The House Government Oversight Committee on Wednesday heard more than two hours of testimony on House Joint Resolution 3, which would direct Ohio’s legislature to apply to Congress for an Article V convention limited to proposing an amendment that would impose term limits on members of the U.S. Congress.

Proponents told the committee that a convention limited to congressional term limits would be a political tool to force federal action. "HJR 3 gives Ohio an opportunity to join with 12 other states in exercising its right to call for an Article 5 convention of the states limited to the issue of congressional term limits," said Kevin Coughlin, state chair of US Term Limits. "When citizen legislators like yourselves pass enough of these resolutions, Congress will be boxed into a corner and compelled to concede the fight by proposing the amendment."

The resolution matters because supporters say it would pressure Congress to propose a constitutional amendment rather than leave the states to call a convention; opponents…