“In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”
–Thomas Jefferson

I would like to extend to you an opportunity to show your support for our United States Constitution’s Tenth Amendment.

As you may be aware, I introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 1609 to the Kansas Legislature in early February of this 2009 session. This resolution contains language which clearly spells out state sovereignty rights under the United States Constitution’s Tenth Amendment, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The U.S. Constitution does not empower the federal government to overrule state laws without restraint. The Constitution does not give the federal government the right to interfere with the affairs of our state – or any state – especially by seducing citizens with money that comes with hidden and unknown obligations.The Constitution does not authorize the federal government to intrude by decree into the lives of citizens with excessive spending of their tax dollars.

As James Madison specified in Federalist #45, the U.S. Constitution creates a federal government of specific listed powers, not one of wide-ranging and far-reaching power that usurps the state’s authority and the rights of the people.

After introducing the resolution, I quickly received massive statewide support. With that support, and because of the significance of the underlying principles of the resolution, I wanted to give as many state senators as possible the ability to co-sponsor the legislation. I had the resolution redrafted, received a total of 24 senators’ signatures onto the measure, including all of Senate leadership, and re-introduced the resolution, SCR 1615. You can read it here.

Now I would like to extend you the opportunity to show your support by attaching your signature to this letter.

You won’t be alone. Many organizations throughout our state have voiced concerns about this subject, and their members will also be signing this letter.

The Senate Judiciary Chairman has promised SCR 1615 will have a hearing on Jan. 15, 2010, the first Friday of the 2010 session. But we can take action before that time by sending out a public statement showing the respect and support we have for our state’s sovereignty, and the indignation we feel about the over-stepping of the limits the Constitution places on the federal government.

Today, both the President and Congress assume the federal government should control the states and give them the role of acting as agents on their behalf. But they have it backwards.

Today we put the President and Congress on notice: it is the federal government that exists for the benefit of the states, and that includes the great state of Kansas.

Kansas residents and organizations, to show your support, please e-mail me at tenthamendment@pilchercook.com with your name and the city in which you live, and we will add you to our list of supporters.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and your passion for our liberty.

Mary Pilcher Cook is married to Don Cook – a talented musician and furniture repair technician. Mary grew up in Shawnee and St. Joseph Parish and her parents, Ray and Bertha Pilcher, have been members since 1963. Her brother is Father John Pilcher. Mary has served two terms as a Kansas State Representative and has done quite a bit of legislative work in giving the voters a better system of selecting judges and pushing for more accountability and transparency in government Mary also served as Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women President from 2003-2005. Mary was employed as a software engineer, and she has professional experience in the high-tech financial news industry. She received a BS in Information Science and an MBA specializing in finance from Avila University . Mary and her husband have five children and four grandchildren, and are small business owners in the mobile furniture repair business.