Fearing an end run by opponents of abortion and gay marriage, a coalition gathered at New Haven City Hall Thursday to urge a “no” vote on a constitutional convention.
With all the attention focused on the presidential election, civil-rights groups are concerned that a lesser-known question on the Nov. 4 Connecticut ballot may slip by without most voters knowing about it.
The question is whether Connecticut should hold a constitutional convention.
Mayor John DeStefano joined statewide representatives from a coalition called “Vote No: Protect Our Constitution” at the Thursday afternoon event to call attention to the question and to make a case against it.
The coalition includes Planned Parenthood, a host of progressive labor unions, and advocates of same-sex marriage. The coalition previously held a similar press event in Hartford; another’s planned for Stamford.
The ballot question’s supporters say they’re promoting democracy. They want to amend the constitution to allow for citizen-created initiatives to appear on state ballots, the way they do in states like California and Massachusetts. (Massachusetts’ three measures on this fall’s ballot would ban the income tax, decriminalize marijuana, and ban professional dog racing.”
“Unlike many other states, Connecticut does not have a public referendum process. This means there is no ordinary way for citizens to have their voices heard on critical constitutional matters,” argues a post on the website of the measure’s main organized advocates.
“The only opportunity Connecticut residents have a real impact on the state Constitution is a vote every twenty years on whether to hold a Constitutional Convention. This is a rare and unique opportunity to allow voters to contribute to the constitutional process and to advance their values.”
The opponents gathered in New Haven Thursday argued that the measure represents the opposite of democracy. They argued that such constitutional conventions are composed of hand-picked “insiders” and are generally controlled by “special interests” pushing measures that lack popular support and otherwise would never be passed by the legislature.
In this case, the opponents said, the measure is a stalking horse for people who want to ban abortion and overturn last week’s State Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. One of the measure’s top supporters is the Family Institute of Connecticut; the anti-gay rights group identified this ballot measure as the next front in trying to stop same-sex marriage in the state.
“Ballot measures end up being about extremes and anger,” argued Mayor DeStefano (pictured). He said debating proposed initiatives through the legislature’s “deliberative process” works better. He said he sees no “urgent and compelling reason” to “change a document [the state constitution] that works and serves us well… If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
Civics Debate
WTNH’s Mark Davis challenged DeStefano by citing one of the mayor’s pet issues: property tax reform. Wouldn’t you support a ballot initiative to bring about property tax reform? Davis asked him.
No, DeStefano responded.
“I’d vote against it,” he said. “I don’t think you can answer these questions on a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question” on a ballot.”
For instance, a ballot initiative might simply pose the question of whether or not to eliminate the property tax, DeStefano said. Addressing the issue responsibly requires a more nuanced discussion of the varying forms of property tax (on real estate, cars, equipment), how much the state should rely on each, and how to account for lost revenue.
Another speaker, Gary Holder-Winfield (pictured), argued that in tough fiscal times, the millions of dollars needed to run a constitutional convention would be better spent on addressing pressing state needs. Holder-Winfield, who was representing the American Association of University Professors, is the Democratic candidate for state representative from New Haven’s 94th General Assembly district.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell this week came out in favor of the ballot question, but against the idea of trying to overturn the court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz reported Thursday that the number of voters registered in Connecticut has surged to over two million. Close to 220,000 people have registered since January.
The war on drugs is a joke! When will it be won?? ..when there are no drug users left in America? That will be NEVER!!!
There are fifteen million marijuana users alone and more people pick it up every day. Do prohibitionists honestly believe they can eliminate the demand for marijuana entirely. What nonsense!
Prohibition is a failed policy. Just look at what it's done to alcohol and marijuana! While prohibition is able to eliminate legal supply it has virtually no effect on demand. This demand when coupled with zero legal supply draws criminals into our communities seeking to make quick, and substantial, profits. And profit they do!!! Their presence in our schools and communities puts our children at risk and endangers public safety.
Legalization of alcohol virtually eliminated the accessibility of minors to alcohol and rid our communities of bootleggers. Applying the same laws to marijuana will do the same thing to drug dealers!!
We care about our children and we work hard to raise them well. We believe they deserve a better future than what prohibition can offer. End the prohibition and apply the same laws to marijuana that are used to control alcohol!