Repair California, a group that hopes to get two initiatives on the California ballot to obtain a new state constitution, will submit its proposed initiative language to the Attorney General on September 25. One initiative would authorize voters to call a constitutional convention; the other would actually ask the voters to take that step. Currently, only a two-thirds vote of the legislature can begin the process of considering a new constitution. The existing Constitution dates from 1879, although it was substantially revised in the period 1966-1974.
Also, another group, California Action Network, also plans to circulate an initiative to enable the voters to call for a Constitutional Convention. It has already received its language from the Attorney General, and its petitions are being printed now. See http://CaliforniaActionNetwork.com.
A recent neutral poll show that 70% of the voters would vote for calling a Constitutional Convention. If the initiatives get on the ballot, they would be on the November 2010 ballot. See this story. The proposals envision that the Delegates to the Constitutional Convention would be ordinary citizens, not state legislators.
Thank you for the mention. Just because the California Action Network is starting without money, without millions from Big Business, and thousands of paid Petition Circulators, we have not been able to get “Press”. As the main proponent, I would like to report that we have had strong success with our work so far thru the grassroots – rank and file motions – and bottom up structures used to build a strong base in any community organizing cause. We are building a “Coalition for Change”. We have had strong reception so far from our Student Organizers across California. We anticipate Labor to join us. We anticipate the many single issue efforts of “Single Payer”, Marriage Rights, and Civil Rights period to join the coalition. We do not have any sponsorship other than the Citizens who are pitching in. We knew this would start slow and spread. We have not had any web-development teamwork yet. We have yet to roll out our Group Blogs. We have yet to establish our networks other than set up the infrastructure to actually Organize All of California. We are right on schedule. We are also certain the People of California support democratic processes and not some Grand Jury Style Iranian Secret Selection of Delegates, as proposed by the Big Business Group – Repair California. As Citizens, we get that California is beyond repair. It is time to frame a new government. We suggest California model our State after the US Constitution. Thanks for the mention.
– Paul Currier
Author of Proposed California Constitution Articles 36 and 37
Isn’t the California State Constitution already modeled after the U.S. Constitution? Would it not be easier (and less messy) to just amend the already existing constitution (where you think it is necessary) rather than form a new one?
What are the true objectives of the groups that wish to call a constitutional convention? If we, the people, are going to have a constitutional convention, we should go ahead and form a socialist government in this state. To put it another way, we need to add economic freedom; and fair ballot, debates, and media access; to the amount of political freedom that we already enjoy.
The heat from all the reform groups seems to have motivated the State Senate.
Here’s a quick interview I did with Repair California’s lead counsel, Andrew Giacomini in which he says that personal entrities to legislators had failed to motivate elected officials to look seriously at reform:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNVytZ31G0Q
Early in September, however, the Senate did publicly begin a semblance of intention to address the concerns brought up by Constitutional reformists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYXHPjXafiQ&feature=player_embedded#t=169
However, all the talk of bipartisanship, makes me a little concerned for the potential neglect of real electoral and campaign finance reform that could be created in a new Constitution and I’m inclined to have the call for a publicly created Constitution.
w5qd1f I want to say – thank you for this!