[WardFive] Fwd: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution for the State of New Columbia

Theodora H. Brown

Begin forwarded message:

From: "A. Loikow" <aloikow@verizon.net>
Date: October 17, 2016 at 3:47:16 AM EDT
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution for the State of New Columbia

Please call the Council today in support of these amendments.  Thanks.  Ann

Phil Mendelson, Chairman  202-724-8032

Anita Bonds, At Large 202-724-8064

David Grosso, At Large 202-724-8105

Elissa Silverman, At Large 202-724-7772

Robert White, Jr.,  At Large 202-724-8174

Brianne Nadeau, Ward 1 202-724-8181

Jack Evans, Ward 2 202-724-8058

Mary Cheh, Ward 3 202-724-8062

Brandon Todd, Ward 4 202-724-8052

Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5 202-724-8028

Charles Allen, Ward 6 202-724-8072

Yvette Alexander, Ward 7 202-724-8068

LaRuby May, Ward 8 202-724-8045

From: A. Loikow <aloikow@verizon.net>

Subject: Proposed Amendments to the Constitution for the State of New Columbia

Date: October 17, 2016 at 3:21:51 AM EDT

To: The Honorable Phil Mendelson <pmendelson@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Anita Bonds <abonds@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable David Grosso <dgrosso@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Elissa Silverman <esilverman@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Robert White <rwhite@DCCOUNCIL.US>, "The Honorable Brianne K. Nadeau" <bnadeau@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Jack Evans <jackevans@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Mary Cheh <mcheh@dccouncil.us>, "The Honorable Brandon T. Todd" <btodd@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Kenyan McDuffie <kmcduffie@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Charles Allen <callen@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable Yvette Alexander <yalexander@dccouncil.us>, The Honorable LaRuby May <lmay@dccouncil.us>

Dear Chairman Mendelson and Members of the Council:

Below are several amendments to the Constitution for the State of New Columbia. The first amendment is to Article VII, section 3, the Constitution amending process. The amendment would authorize the voters by initiative, in addition to the House of Delegates, to call for a constitutional convention with elected delegates. This provision applies for the lifetime of the state. In other words, whenever in the future, be it one year, five years or 100 years from admission, the voters think the constitution needs revising, they can, using the initiative process, call for a constitutional convention.

The amendment also provides that on the first anniversary of the effective date of the Admission Act, the House of Delegates shall put a referendum on the ballot asking if there should be a constitutional convention. This triggers the possibility of having a constitutional convention soon after admission, but if the voters are satisfied with the constitution at that point, they can decide that there doesn't need to be one then.

A new subsection "d" would be added to section 3 of Article VII that would require when there is going to be a constitution convention, regardless of who calls for it, that there be a preparatory commission to prepare for and organize the convention. This new subsection also would require that each legislative district shall elect an equal number of delegates to any constitutional convention.

Article VII, section 4, Effective date, would also be amended to provide that once Congress has approved an Admission Act, the constitution and proposed boundaries would not be effective until after the voters have approved them in a referendum. This would give the people a chance to see what Congress has required in the Admission Act and would give the voters the final say on what the constitution and boundaries for the new state will be.  

The amendment also would amend Article VIII, section 1, Transfer of officers, to provide that any constitutional convention in session at the time of Congress approves an admission act shall continue its work and that the constitution the convention approves shall be the constitution on the ballot in the referendum mentioned above.

As you heard many times over during the recent hearings before the Committee as a Whole, the people of District of Columbia want the Council to call for a constitutional convention with elected delegates to be held next year to continue the work the Statehood Commission and the Council have started. The people recognize, and I hope the Council does too, that there are a lot of issues concerning the shape and powers of the new state government that haven't been adequately discussed and thought through. In other words, we the people want the chance to thoughtfully develop a constitution that will clearly derive its just powers from the consent of the governed, the one thing we have NOT had over the past two centuries.

Thank you for consideration of these proposed amendments.  A "redline" version of the amendments showing the changes to the text of the constitution follows the text of the proposed amendments. 

Sincerely,

Ann Hume Loikow

D.C. Statehood - Yes We Can!