Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 2

Introduced by Senator DeSaulnier

December 3, 2012

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 2—Relative to a constitutional convention.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 2, as introduced, DeSaulnier. Constitutional convention.

Under the California Constitution, the Legislature by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring, may submit at a general election the question whether to call a convention to revise the Constitution. If the majority vote yes on that question, within 6 months the Legislature is required to provide for the convention.

This measure would propose that the people of the State of California vote at the next statewide general election on the question of whether to call a convention to revise the California Constitution.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, Section 2 of Article XVIII of the California
Constitution provides that the Legislature by rollcall vote entered
in the journal, two-thirds of the membership of each house
concurring, may submit at a general election the question of
whether to call a convention to revise the Constitution; and

WHEREAS, Section 2 of Article XVIII of the California
Constitution further provides that if a majority votes yes on the
question of whether to call a convention to revise the Constitution,
the Legislature shall provide for a convention within six months;
and

WHEREAS, Section 2 of Article XVIII of the California
Constitution further provides that delegates to a constitutional
convention shall be voters elected from districts as nearly equal
in population as may be practicable; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California
at its 2013-14 Regular Session commencing on the third day of
December 2012, two-thirds of the membership of each house
concurring, hereby proposes that the people of the State of
California vote at the next statewide general election on the
question of whether to call a convention to revise the California
Constitution to provide for the effective and efficient delivery of
public services, subject to all of the following:

(a) Pursuant to Section 2 of Article XVIII of the California
Constitution, the question of whether to call a convention to revise
the California Constitution shall be submitted to the voters at the
next statewide general election, and if the majority vote yes on
that question, within six months the Legislature shall provide for
the convention.

(b) The Secretary of State shall submit the question of whether
to call a convention to revise the California Constitution to the
voters as the Secretary of State would submit any other proposition
by the Legislature that is submitted to a popular vote at a statewide
general election; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California at its
2013-14 Regular Session commencing on the third day of
December 2012, two-thirds of the membership of each house
concurring, hereby submits at the next statewide general election
after passage of this measure a question asking whether voters are
for or against the calling of a convention for the purpose of revising
the Constitution of the State; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.