Full Circle: An Interview with Montana State Senator Tom McGillvray
By Vickie Deppe – November 2021
Senator Tom McGillvray was only vaguely aware of Article V when a constituent asked to meet with him to discuss the Convention of States Project. After the meeting, McGillvray did a deep dive into Article V, exploring materials like Rob Natelson’s (pictured) The Law of Article V (including many of the resources cited in the footnotes), legal journals and law reviews, and the history of interstate conventions. By the time he had finished his research, he became convinced that Article V wasn’t just an opportunity, but an obligation; and if state legislators choose not to use Article V, they are complicit in Washington’s dysfunction. “The answer is not elections: it’s structural reform through amendments.”
After the CoSP application was narrowly defeated on the Senate floor, McGillvray organized a series of events with CoSP, Professor Rob Natelson, and other civic organizations to educate colleagues and mobilize constituents, just as his constituent had educated and mobilized him.
The entire interview is available HERE.
Many state legislators will no doubt regard Article V as an ‘option’ they don’t care to pursue. But it is indeed an *obligation*, and any legislator that shirks that obligation should be replaced.