May 20, 2009
Groups launch constitutional convention drive

Under the hair-of-the-dog theory, several groups said Wednesday that the best cure for California's ballot madness is another pair of ballot measures.

The Bay Area Council and several good-government groups launched a drive for a constitutional convention to overhaul the state's guiding document and review decades of voter-approved amendments that have constrained the Capitol.

They said they want the Legislature to place two measures on the November 2010 ballot. One would allow voter-approved constitutional conventions -- right now, only the Legislature can ask voters to call one into session. The second would ask voters to authorize an immediate convention.

"If ever there was a tipping point in history, this is it." said Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, an organization of business leaders.

If lawmakers don't agree to place these on the ballot -- and Wunderman expressed skepticism that they would -- the groups vowed to collect signatures instead.

As Bee columnist Dan Walters pointed out earlier this month, plenty of details still need to be worked out.

Wunderman was joined by representatives from the William C. Velasquez Institute, Courage Campaign, New America Foundation and California Common Cause. Three state legislators also appeared -- freshman Assemblymembers Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert, and Alyson Huber, D-El Dorado Hills, as well as Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord.

DeSaulnier said he will pursue legislation on behalf of the Bay Area Council.

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capit...est/022463.html