At an Oct. 19 campus forum, Citizens Research Council's Eric Lupher and Bridge Michigan's Jordyn Hermani will discuss what a convention could do and hear students' priorities before the Nov. 3 vote.
On Nov. 3, Michigan voters will decide whether to call a constitutional convention. The ballot question does not ask them to approve a finished package of amendments.
MSU's Oct. 19 forum will bring students with differing political views into a discussion of what a convention could involve. They will weigh arguments on both sides and identify priorities for a possible convention. If voters approve Proposal 1, elected delegates would draft a general revision of the state Constitution, which voters could then approve or reject.
The question appears on the ballot every 16 years under the Michigan Constitution. The last convention met in 1961 and 1962; voters adopted the current Constitution in 1963. If Proposal 1 passes, delegates would be elected in 2027. They could propose targeted changes or write a complete new constitution. Voters would have the final say on any proposal.
The proposed convention would have 148 delegates: one from each of Michigan's 110 state House districts and 38 state Senate districts. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan says there is no fixed deadline for the convention's work. Taxpayers would cover the cost, and voters would still have to approve any resulting constitutional revision.
A general revision could put a wide range of issues before delegates. Abortion could come up. Voting rules and term limits are also possible topics. School funding could be discussed, as could taxes. None of these subjects is specified as a provision in Proposal 1. The ACLU of Michigan's explanation says delegates could add or remove amendments or write a new state constitution.
A poll by Mitchell Research & Communications, published by CBS News Detroit on Oct. 9, found that 51% of respondents opposed a convention and 26% supported one. Those figures reflect views during the campaign, not an election result. Michigan voters have rejected convention proposals three times since adopting the 1963 Constitution. In 2010, the proposal lost by about a two-thirds margin. Since 1963, 85 constitutional amendments had been proposed, and 39 were adopted. CBS News Detroit reported the poll results.
Farmington Voice has also covered university policy discussions, including a freshman grading pilot. The MSU forum concerns a statewide constitutional question and the coming voter decision.
The event is sponsored by the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. The LeFrak Forum on Science, Reason and Modern Democracy is also a sponsor. MSU Middle Ground is sponsoring the program as well.
The discussion begins at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in Campbell Hall Rooms 111 and 174. Speakers are Eric Lupher of the Citizens Research Council and Jordyn Hermani of Bridge Michigan. Students are asked to register.
