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Public
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Constitutional
Convention Divides Like-Minded
Allies
Produced by Tony
Arnold on Tuesday, August 12,
2008
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This
November, Illinois voters get to decide if the
state constitution should be opened up for review
and maybe change.
When you take
your ballot, you'll get to say "yes" or "no"
to whether the state should hold a constitutional
convention, often called con-con. If voters
approve it, delegates would come together to
pour over all the articles of the state
constitution.
PIERCE: This is the easiest
way to change the constitution. The other ways are
very hard.
Greg Pierce is with a group of
unions and churches that support con-con. He says
it's a way to fix Illinois' broken tax
system.
But here's an example of how
con-con is dividing people who usually fight for
the same things.
Ralph Martire, a
government watchdog, agrees with Pierce the
tax system has to change; that it relies too
heavily on property taxes.
But how to fix
that? Martire says not with con-con. He worries
hot button issues like gay marriage would crowd
out a reasonable debate about taxes. And that
could hobble any chances to change the tax system
for years to come.
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