Prepare your members to have these Talking Points,
the Con-Con Facts, and Responding to
Con-Con Supporters at the ready whenever they have
the opportunity to bring up the subject of the Con-Con ballot.
A recent opinion poll showed that the following arguments (with
which our League members agreed through our consensus process)
would be most influential in influencing voters to vote NO on
the Con Con ballot.
• Special interests could control the convention
• Delegates to the convention would not represent interests
of regular voters
• Incumbent politicians would control the convention
Other reasons that our League members gave for opposing a constitutional
convention at this time included:
• We face the risk of exposing the entire constitution
to revision and the loss of 1970 gains. (See Major Accomplishments
of 1970 Constitution for these issues.)
• The cost of a convention, estimated at $78 million or
more, outweighs the possible benefits.
• The amendment process has been relatively successful
since the 1970 Constitution was adopted, with 10 out of 17 proposed
amendments being approved by the voters (3 of the defeated ones
were the same proposal). One of these, the Cut Back Amendment,
was accomplished by citizen initiative.
• We are concerned that the entire convention delegate
election process would be faulty because it will be determined
by our currently dysfunctional General Assembly.
• We are concerned that the current political dysfunction
in state government will extend to the convention itself.
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