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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/25/2024 10:32 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20210&cosponId=33413
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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 11, 2020 08:36 AM
From: Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill
To: All Senate members
Subject: Constitutional Amendment Allowing for Limited Constitutional Conventions for Government Reform every 20 Years
 
In the near future, I will reintroduce Senate Bill 1035, a proposed constitutional amendment that allows voters to call for limited constitutional conventions for government reform. The amendment would provide for limited constitutional conventions every 20 years, if a majority of voters feel that a convention is needed.

The constitutional amendment would place a question on the ballot asking voters if a constitutional convention addressing government reform should take place. If a majority of voters support the ballot measure, a Constitutional Convention shall be called by the governor. Each recommendation from the constitutional convention would then be submitted to the voters for approval or rejection in the first Primary or General Election following the convention.

The constitutional conventions would be limited to the following sections of the Pennsylvania Constitution:
  • Article II (The Legislature), Sections 3, 4, 8 and 16 (dealing with terms, size and compensation of the General Assembly)
  • Article III (Legislation), Sections 13, 22, 24 and 26 (dealing with prohibitions on voting, no-bid contracts, spending without a budget in place), as well as Subarticle A (dealing with amendments to bills on third consideration)
  • Article IV (The Executive), Sections 4 and 14 (dealing with duties of the lieutenant governor)
  • Article V (The Judiciary), Sections 10, 17 and 18 (dealing with independent review, work outside of the courts, and suspension of judges)
The convention would consist of 150 members – three from each state senatorial district. Individuals seeking to serve on the convention would file petitions and run as individual delegates.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this proposal, which truly gives the power back to the people to decide on major reforms.

Previous co-sponsors of this legislation include Senators Mastriano, Regan, and DiSanto.
 


Introduced as SB246