A Call to Bloggers: The Pennsylvania State Constitution
Feb 23rd, 2007 at 8:43 am by PSoTD
Voters in Pennsylvania could have a new state constitution to ratify as soon as the next presidential election.
But there’s a lot to do if that’s going to happen.
The state Senate Government Committee, headed by Sen. Jeffrey E. Piccola, R-Dauphin, held its first in a series of hearings yesterday on convening a constitutional convention for the first time in 40 years.
Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, was the first speaker on the proposal at the hearing held at Duquesne University Law School. Mr. Ferlo had proposed a bill calling for a constitutional convention during the last legislative session and has introduced his bill again.
Mr. Ferlo said a constitutional convention could address legislative salaries, the size of the Legislature, “procedural issues such as lame duck sessions and the process for the introduction, amending and adoption of bills.”
God knows that the Pennsylvania State Constitution needs an upgrade. And it seems like the pay raise controversy may push the Constitutional Convention far enough along that it could occur. But this kind of opportunity, to revise the actual structure of how Pennsylvania’s state government operates, does not come along very often. So even if politically time is of the essence, for purposes of governing quality, there should be due diligence put in, and time given for reasonable review. This bodes weakly for the process:
Joel Fishman, the co-director of Duquesne University’s Pennsylvania Constitution Web Site, gave a possible time frame for a constitutional convention which called for the current hearings to wrap up in March; the general assembly to pass an act calling for a constitutional convention by June; the electorate to vote for the convention in November; a primary election for the delegates in April 2008; and the convention to run from May through August with the final step being the adoption of the new articles from the convention in November 2008.
All this within the same time frame as a Presidential campaign as well. It seems a bit rushed.
This is really an opportunity to reframe Pennsylvania’s government in ways that are more responsive to the Commonwealth’s citizens. Are we paying attention to what could be done?
Maybe it’s time for a Pennsylvania Bloggers Constitutional Convention…
Let’s have the bloggers convention and to my thinking the first item on the agenda should be the size of the legislature. Ours is roughly double the size of California’s which has over double of the population. Right there would be a great cost savings.
Actually, California has three times Pennsylvania’s population.
Pennsylvania Bloggers……
Need to pay attention to the opportunities if there is a Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention….
[...] A Call to Bloggers: The Pennsylvania State Constitution Wait, what?!? (tags: pennsylvania new constitution) [...]
Here’s one blogger that’s game for it. My big fear is that the convention will turn into a special interest driven project so we need to be paying attention.