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Democratic Lawmaker Says Convention of States Raises More Questions Than Answers

photo of David Leland
KAREN KASLER
/
OHIO PUBLIC RADIO
Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus) speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July 2016.

A resolution that would make Ohio the 10th state to demand a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution is raising concerns among some state lawmakers.

This is the second time Republican Rep. Christina Hagan of Alliance and Democratic Rep. Bill Patmon of Cleveland have proposed a resolution calling for a convention of the states. But Democratic Rep. David Leland of Columbus says there don’t seem to be any certain answers on the rules for a convention, on the delegate-selection process and other procedures.

“We’re throwing up in the air the most important document the United States has ever had into a process where we have more questions than we have answers. And to me, that’s very, very scary.”

Leland says voters have the chance each election to bring in officeholders who can take action on issues a convention could debate, such as a balanced federal budget. Thirty-four states would have to vote for a convention for one to happen.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.