Call For Consitutional Change In California
A Group Is Advocating A Constitutional Convention For California
© Jon Pike
Mar 7, 2009
California’s economic plight is in the news and a group of citizens in the state say that a rewriting of the state’s fundamental law, its constitution is due for a serious revamp. This would be the first constitutional convention since the document was substantially revised in 1878 and would be the third such convention in the state’s history. The document is substantially longer than other states and clocks at 110 ½ pages. Proponents of a state constitutional say it hamstrings government from taking action.
Who’s Proposing the Change and Why
A group called the Bay Area Council is the major group pushing for a constitutional convention. The council, formed in 1945, calls itself, “a business-sponsored public policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay area.” Chevron and Pacific Gas and Electric are among the parties represented by the group. Not too surprisingly, the major focus of the call for a convention seems to revolve around the state’s economic woes. Jim Wunderman, the president and CEO of the council put the case in the following paragraph in an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle:
California's system of taxation and spending is almost entirely hardwired into the Constitution. It produces wildly fluctuating revenue booms and busts that put state services on a cruel feast-or-famine roller coaster that drags the poor, the elderly, children and even the business community along for the painful ride. Similarly, local funding is hogtied to the state's, forcing our cities and counties to suffer as well from outdated laws in the Constitution. California's bureaucratic red tape is legendary, reflecting nothing of our 21st century economy, culture and society.
The group is also proposing a sunset-clause that would abolish many of the state’s regulatory agencies and boards after a certain time, unless legislation is passed to continue them.
Some Are Advising Caution
California business and politics blogger Joel Fox says, “Agenda driven groups would likely attempt to capture as many delegate positions as possible in a modern day convention to shape a constitution to their liking.” He notes that in the last constitutional convention, The Workingmen’s Party and Grangers managed to put regulation of the railroads, new tax policies, and restrictions on jobs and property for Chinese immigrants.
Who would participate and exactly how the convention would work remain unclear.
Such organizations as the League of Women Voters have expressed in interest in this latest drive to change the Golden State’s Constitution.
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