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Former Sen. Tom Coburn Joins State Reps. Hagan and Patmon in Promoting a Constitutional Convention

photo of Tom Coburn
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
Tom Coburn (at podium) is a former senator and house representative from Oklahoma.

State lawmakers who want Ohio to join a group of states in calling for a constitutional convention brought in some conservative star power to make their case.

The resolution from Republican Rep. Christina Hagan of Alliance and Democratic Rep. Bill Patmon of Cleveland would add Ohio to the list of nine states that have so far joined the call for a convention. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma was outspoken about federal spending and overreach when he was in the U.S. House and Senate, and says states need to take back the enumerated powers reserved for them.

“That’s been totally stepped on. You in Ohio don’t have the power to control your future because it’s in the hands of the federal government. And it’s time to change that.”

The Ohio resolution calls for amendments restraining federal spending, curtailing the government’s authority and limiting terms for Congress and other federal officials. 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.