Courage Campaign Co-Hosts Southern California Constitutional Convention Town Hall

 
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2009

LOS ANGELES — A coalition of community and public interest organizations will co-host the first in a series of town hall discussions this Saturday that seek to educate Californians on the historic call for a California Constitutional Convention.

“California’s current crisis, the worst since the Depression at least, can only be solved by the people taking action,” said Rick Jacobs, the founder and chair of the 700,000-member Courage Campaign. “We have to press the reset button on state government. We cannot rely on elected officials, no matter how well-intentioned, to fix this mess because the entire system is broken.”

Jacobs will moderate the first panel of the town hall, entitled “What are California’s Problems from Different Vantage Points.” The Panel will discuss in detail the state’s challenges from different constituencies’ vantage points and how the current system prevents the state’s leaders from effectively meeting those challenges.

“How can the state that only 40 years ago was the envy of the world now teeter on the brink?” Jacobs asked. “How can the state that educated everyone now lock out students from higher education due to cost? These are the challenges Californians want met with effective action.”

Article 18 of the California Constitution explains the convention process. First, the legislature must vote with a 2/3rds majority to put a proposition on the ballot to call a convention, and a majority of voters must approve that proposition. If the convention call is approved by voters, within six months there will be a convention. Delegates to the convention will be chosen by the voters based on districts. The convention does not have the authority to actually change the Constitution itself — only the voters can actually ratify Constitutional changes. What the convention does is debate and refine proposals, and agree on what will be submitted to voters.

The Southern California Constitutional Convention Town Hall will focus on introducing and educating the community to the concept and gathering feedback from the public. Featuring panels of elected officials, issues experts, and community leaders, this event will be Southern Californian residents’ first major opportunity to learn and ask questions about this powerful method to reform the state, and give input into a process that could profoundly affect California for generations to come.

“The Courage Campaign chose its name for a reason,” continued Jacobs. “The time has come for bold action. The Courage Campaign community of more than 700,000 members is ready to engage this conversation and to lead this state to a bright future.”

The Southern California Constitutional Convention Town will be held on Saturday, July 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of Southern California, Davidson Hall, Embassy Room, 3415 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA.

The event is co-sponsored by the Courage Campaign, the Bay Area Council, and the William C. Velasquez Institute, along with several partnering organizations, including the Asian American Action Fund, the City Project, Common Cause, Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC), the New America Foundation, the USC Bedrosian Center, the United Chambers of Commerce San Fernando Valley & Region, and the USC Unruh Institute.