Authorizes submission of constitutional convention question to the electorate.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1: Article XVII, section 2, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii provides that the legislature may submit for the electorate's approval at any general or special election, a call for a constitutional convention. The last constitutional convention called in this State was in 1978. Since that time, many revisions have been made to the State Constitution to reflect changes in social and political mores. The legislature declares that it is in the best interest of the citizenry that the people revisit the basic fundaments of the State constitution. The Constitution was designed to be a living vehicle by which the public mandates its policies, and attention to the need for change has been forgotten too long. The purpose of this Act is to authorize the placement of the constitutional convention question on the 2006 general election ballot.

The intent of the legislature is to seat a constitutional convention in 2008, reflecting the 30 year anniversary of the 1978 Hawaii constitutional convention, by seeking delegates to the constitution at the general election of 2007 and convening the constitutional convention thereafter in 2008 with ratification to timely occur during the general election of 2008.

SECTION 2. The legislature hereby submits the following question to be placed on the 2006 general election ballot:

"Shall there be a convention to propose a revision of or amendments to the Constitution?

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon approval