ConCons in other states

Illinois and Hawaii are among 14 states that mandate periodic referenda to call constitutional conventions. The Library just received a report published last April by the Legislative Research Unit (LRU) of the Illinois General Assembly on how constitutional revisions are handled by different states. The 14 with mandatory referenda are Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island. The report also describes constitutional revision efforts of 7 states without mandatory referenda: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Utah, and Virginia.

Included are appendices on how states call ConCons (by the legislature or by mandatory referendum), referendum frequency, and constitutional citations; and how a constitution revision commission works.

State Constitutional Revision in Recent Decades (pdf, 23pp/1.43MB), April 17, 2008 (KF4530 I54 2008)

ConCon$ in Hawaii

House Concurrent Resolution No. 231, House Draft 1, adopted during Hawaii's Regular Session of 2008, directs the Legislative Reference Bureau to study the costs of convening a constitutional convention and provide an estimate of the projected total cost.

LRB released this report today which contains the results of their study and their estimate of the total projected cost of a constitutional convention, including consideration of various alternatives.

This report estimates costs of a constitutional convention held on Oahu in 2010 or 2012.

Cost Estimates For A Constitutional Convention (pdf, 111pp/680kB)

See also:
FR 8.11.2008 on the Hawaii Constitutional Convention Cost Task Force, led by Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, and its final report.

FR 6.16.2008 on LRB's Hawaii Constitutional Convention Studies, 1978.

ConCon costs

On Aug. 1 the Hawaii Constitutional Convention Cost Task Force, led by Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, issued its final report which projected the cost of a ConCon to range from $2.3 million to $11.1 million. Among the variable factors considered: number of delegates (25-102); duration of convention (90-120 days), location (State Capitol, Blaisdell, others), delegate per diem ($90-$150), fringe benefits for delegate staff and convention staff (yes or no). Delegates would be paid $4,201 per month, delegate staff $10,000. A Star Bulletin article (Aug. 2, 2008) reported that Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser "dismissed the idea of a convention with 25 delegates, saying it was too small" and estimated that a ConCon would cost $20 million.

Projecting the Cost of a Constitutional Convention in Hawaii (pdf, 44pp/264kB)

Hawaii ConCon?

The Hawaii Legislative Reference Bureau has been requested by the 2008 Legislature (HCR231 HD1, 2008; pdf) to study the costs of convening a constitutional convention and provide an estimate of the projected total cost.

Revisions of or amendments to the Hawaii State constitution may be proposed by constitutional convention or by the legislature. (Hawaii Constitution, Article XVII).

Section 2 also states:

The legislature may submit to the electorate at any general or special election the question, "Shall there be a convention to propose a revision of or amendments to the Constitution?" If any nine-year period shall elapse during which the question shall not have been submitted, the lieutenant governor shall certify the question, to be voted on at the first general election following the expiration of such period.

The last ConCon convened in 1978.

The Hawaii Constitutional Studies 1978 were undertaken at the direction of the legislature and are an attempt to present in understandable form many of the possible issues and the arguments on both sides of such issues that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1978 may wish to consider.

Hawaii Constitutional Convention Studies 1978