Constitutional Convention talk festers

Well, someone finally openly called for it…

“The fiscal situation should at least get the public thinking about one possibility: Passing a proposal that will be on the 2010 ballot to call a convention to write a new state Constitution,” the Freep’s Ron Dzwonkowski wrote this week. “Let the current officeholders deal with today while a new group meets to draw up a framework that will better serve the Michigan of tomorrow, in terms of government, education, regulation and taxation. Our 1963 Constitution fills nearly 60 pages and has been amended about 30 times. It’s due for an overhaul, just like the state it’s supposed to serve.”

Other groups — namely the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Michigan Education Association — are lining up to fight any convention push.

The many facets of the Constitutional Convention discussion are well-covered in a recent story in Dome Magazine…

“If voters approve a Con Con, some of the issues… that could end up fodder for a rewrite include permanently lowering wages for elected officials, trimming the size of the courts and redrawing legislative districts. Other possible ideas that could take center stage: abortion rights, the death penalty, the sales tax cap and graduated income tax prohibition, Headlee tax limits and other Headlee issues, public school district consolidation, elimination of township government, restoring affirmative action programs, same-sex bans, physician-assisted suicide, legalization of drugs, allowing public aid to non-public schools, and school funding equity issues.”

A Con Con would be a heckuva barn burner of a debate. But would it result in a better Michigan?