HR1476 LRB095 21868 RLC 52453 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The question of whether to call a Constitutional
3 Convention will appear as a referendum on the ballot at the
4 general election on November 4, 2008; and
 
5     WHEREAS, If called, a Constitutional Convention could
6 propose either an entirely new Constitution or a series of
7 amendments to the existing Constitution; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Because there has been uncertainty as to what the
9 cost of such a Convention would be, the citizens of the State
10 have been subjected to the proliferation of wildly excessive,
11 distorted, and inaccurate cost estimates; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Public misinformation constitutes an undue
13 distraction for the electorate during a season in which
14 citizens deserve an opportunity for deliberate and
15 conscientious consideration of the merits of this unique and
16 rare referendum; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The Legislative Research Unit of the Illinois
18 General Assembly in April 2008, produced a detailed report
19 illustrating that widely-promulgated Convention cost estimates
20 of $78 million or more are inaccurate because they rely upon a
21 number of dubious assumptions; and
 

 

 

HR1476 - 2 - LRB095 21868 RLC 52453 r

1     WHEREAS, The Legislative Research Unit's own cost
2 estimates indicate that, under one of the three most likely
3 Convention time-frames conceivable, the costs of the
4 Convention might, in fact, very easily be as low as $14 million
5 dollars; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The Legislative Research Unit's cost projections
7 are credible insofar as they rely upon the costs of the 1970
8 Convention, adjusted for inflation, along with more recent data
9 about current costs of various commodities necessary for the
10 Convention's operations, and omit figures for extraneous,
11 speculative, or unnecessary costs; and
 
12     WHEREAS, There is uncertainty as to what the procedures for
13 electing delegates to the Constitutional Convention and for
14 administering the Convention itself would be; and
 
15     WHEREAS, If a Constitutional Convention is called, the
16 General Assembly must enact a statute setting forth procedures
17 for electing delegates, and for operating and financing the
18 Convention; and
 
19     WHEREAS, The General Assembly of Illinois enacted a statute
20 in 1969, P.A. 76-40, in anticipation of the last Constitutional
21 Convention that provided a judicious, successful, and model

 

 

HR1476 - 3 - LRB095 21868 RLC 52453 r

1 framework for establishing a truly thoughtful and deliberative
2 body uniquely oriented toward promoting the common good through
3 such mechanisms as a cost ceiling on the Convention and the
4 non-partisan election of delegates; therefore, be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that in
7 the event the electors of the State approve the referendum
8 calling for a Constitutional Convention:
9         (1) In light of the findings of the Legislative
10     Research Unit that an efficiently-administered
11     Constitutional Convention fully in keeping with all
12     applicable constitutional requirements could be held for
13     as little as $14 million dollars, the General Assembly will
14     make all efforts to control and limit the costs of any
15     Constitutional Convention, with a goal of making sure that
16     Convention costs will not exceed an amount equal to
17     approximately one dollar per Illinois citizen, and, in any
18     event, not more than approximately $15,000,000;
19         (2) Given the Legislative Research Unit's report that
20     under the other two most-conceivable Convention
21     time-frames, the estimated costs of the Convention itself
22     would be either approximately $17 million or $23 million,
23     the General Assembly is confident that because there are
24     various plausible low-cost options readily available,
25     budgetary concerns alone should not dissuade citizens from

 

 

HR1476 - 4 - LRB095 21868 RLC 52453 r

1     supporting a Convention;
2         (3) The General Assembly should follow the judicious
3     and wise example of the 76th General Assembly by enacting
4     implementation legislation modeled on Public Act 76-40 in
5     1969;
6         (4) All Illinois voters ought to be aware that because
7     a Constitutional Convention would not be under any
8     obligation to draft an entirely new Constitution to replace
9     the Illinois Constitution of 1970, the delegates could
10     instead choose to propose amendments to the existing
11     Constitution to the Illinois electorate; and
12         (5) Any Constitutional Convention should attempt to
13     address endemic problems in Illinois State Government
14     through a set of proposed constitutional amendments
15     addressing topics including, but not limited to:
16             (A) tax fairness, equity, and progressivity;
17             (B) equitable financing of public education; and
18             (C) ethical standards in government.