On April 11th, Convention of States Rhode Island headed to the capitol for their first-ever Surge Day! The small but mighty team of eight had a successful day delivering COS materials, meeting with legislators, growing as a team, and building a stronger presence in the legislature.
The group, composed of Barbara Lardner, Ross Maher, Bernard Rinn, Corliss Blanchard, Gwenn Riggs, John MacDonald, Haley Shaw, and Dave Wilder, took advantage of the opportunity to get a better understanding of the capitol and scope out the lay of the land. As it was their first Surge Day this was an invaluable opportunity. The team popped their heads into numerous offices, dropped COS bookmarks in each legislator's mailbox, had two scheduled meetings, a brief conversation with their one sponsor, and even ran into the speaker of the house! This exciting day provided a chance to learn, grow, and spread the news about COS.
Not familiar with the legislature's schedule, the team arrived early, before most legislators did. They were pleasantly surprised when, at 2:30, the capitol came to life. Legislators were walking to their offices, into committee rooms, and onto the house floor. In all this hubbub, the team was able to catch the Speaker of the House.
When talking with the speaker, he mentioned some concerns about a runaway convention. The team, with their amazing understanding of Article V, was able to address his concerns and plant a seed in his mind about COS.
In one of the team's scheduled meetings, the legislator was very responsive and open to what the team was sharing. In their other meeting, the legislator was more difficult, but the team persevered in sharing about Article V. Even though the legislator wasn't very receptive, the team still had an influence and opportunity to share their concerns as citizens.
With only one sponsor in the House and none in the Senate, COS is in the growing stage in Rhode Island. The team is focused on obtaining more sponsors and support. They're mostly focused on the House for now, but hope to get more involved in the Senate in the future. The team didn't make it to the Senate this time, but a kind staff member was given COS bookmarks to deliver to each Senator. Even though the team is small, their presence was felt throughout the entire capitol.
Despite being in the growing stage, RI is still being successful, having recently had a committee hearing on February 6th. The team is also growing and preparing for what the future holds.
Keep your eyes on Rhode Island, they're doing great things!
