List of state applications for an Article V Convention

In 1929 Wisconsin applied to Congress to perform their constitutional duty to call a convention, listing Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin as states having made an application for a convention. There were 48 states in 1929, so 32 applications would be required to call a convention. 35 states were named.

Links to the text of applications by all states except California and North Carolina are provided in the table above. A reference to an application by California has been found in the Congressional Record and the text of an application by South Carolina is given in the table above. It may be that North Carolina was mistakenly included for South Carolina.

Three states, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin, had applied for a general convention. Eleven states listed had applied for a convention to prohibit polygamy (Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington), plus South Carolina. Idaho had included the direct election of the President and Vice President with their request for direct election of Senators. Thus, 16 states clearly had outstanding applications.

Alabama and Georgia had outstanding issues from 1832 and 1833, making a less certain 18. Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, and Oklahoma would be added if we include class II requests for Direct Elections of Senators, for a total of 25.

The only known records for an application New York and Virginia are their ratification documents, before the Bill of Rights. New Jersey and Kentucky applied for a convention to prevent the Civil War, and class III applications for the Direct Election of Senators. Arkansas, Maine, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Utah only had documented class III applications for the Direct Election of Senators. California is most likely in this group. These ten states have applications that may have been mooted by amendments proposed by Congress.

The balanced budget application of Ohio in 2013 through that of Arizona in 2017—except North Dakota—include a list of previous state applications for a balanced budget. Wisconsin's 2017 application also does not contain such a list. These lists mostly extend the previous lists, except possibly omitting state applications from the same legislative session.

Arizona has the most complete list, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. This represents 29 states.

Applications for all of the states mentioned above can be found in the list. Additionally, rescinded applications can be found for Delaware, Idaho, Oregon and Virginia. In particular, Delaware is included in lists prior to their rescission in 2016, but not after.

Wyoming and Wisconsin have made recent applications not included by Arizona, while Maryland, Nevada and New Mexico have recently rescinded their applications. This suggests a current total of 28 states, six short of the required 34.

The Convention of States Resolution includes fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limiting the terms of office of federal officials, including members of Congress. Oklahoma in 2016 and Texas in 2019 included counts of previous applications.

Texas has the most complete list, including the following 13 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

All of these applications are included in the list, and Utah and Mississippi have recent applications not included by Texas, for a total of 15 states.

The Wolf Pac Resolution calls for regulation of election campaign donations and expenditures; end legal concept of "corporate personhood"; overturn 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Rhode Island included a count of the states in their 2016 application.

Rhode Island has the most complete list, including the following five states: California, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont. All of these applications are included in the list, with no recent additions.

Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin have outstanding applications for a convention to propose amendments, with no accompanying issue.

Alabama has a request for a convention limiting tariffs, and South Carolina one for clarification on Amendment X, each implying that other amendments may be considered.

24 more states have outstanding class III applications. These are Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

This gives a total of 31 states with known class I, II, or III applications. Three more applications would meet the 2/3rds requirement to call a convention.