During the aftermath of the pay raise of 2005, everyone was talking about reform in Pennsylvania. Part of that conversation was being heard by the highest levels of government.

The Senate State Government Committee, under the leadership of then-Chairman Senator Jeff Piccola, held a series of hearings across the state regarding the matter of a constitutional convention. Various experts were invited to testify and reflect upon the issue.

PACleanSweep founder Russ Diamond was invited to testify at the final hearing held in the Capitol in Harrisburg on March 26, 2007. In addition to his testimony, Diamond also provided proposed language for legislation to enable a convention.

The Committee’s Vice-Chair, Senator Mike Folmer, introduced the language as Senate Bill 1290 on February 20, 2008. It was referred to the State Government Committee, which reported it back to the Senate on a 10-1 vote on September 17, 2008, with Senator Charles McIlhinney as the only dissenting Committee member. The Senate tabled the bill on October 8, 2008.

Meanwhile, Representative Curt Schroder and a bipartisan group of cosponsors introduced the language in the House of Representatives as House Bill 2723 on July 23, 2008. It was referred to the House State Government Committee. A corrective reprint was issued on July 31, 2008.

With the conclusion of the 2007-2008 legislative session at the end of 2008, both bills became moot victims of inaction.

On February 20, 2009, Senator Folmer and a few more bipartisan cosponsors reintroduced the language, with a few minor changes, for the 2009-2010 legislative session. Now known as Senate Bill 340, it was again referred to that chamber’s State Government Committee. However, Senator McIlhinney, the Committee’s lone dissenter on the bill during the previous legislative session, had become the Chairman. The bill has not been acted on since.

Representative Schroder and additional bipartisan cosponsors also reintroduced the language in the House of Representatives on August 13, 2009. It became House Bill 1929 and was again referred

to the House State Government Committee, joining its companion over in the Senate in a state of limbo.

It is our belief that these two bills will suffer the same fate as their predecessors and die at the end of the 2009-2010 legislative session. As such. our current mission is to have the language reintroduced during the next legislative session after the General Assembly is reorganized following the 2010 elections.

The Citizen’s Constitutional Convention Act of 2001, the latest version of the language, is what we hope to have introduced. You may notice that this version has been amended from the previous versions. The changes are a direct result of citizen and legislator input and are aimed at providing additional measures of transparency, protection and fairness for the people of our Commonwealth.

We believe that while some choose to debate the matter of a convention by speaking in lofty (or not-so-lofty) generalities, all the important details and guidelines relative to a convention depend on the specific language of the legislation passed to create that convention.

We offer the Citizen’s Constitutional Convention Act of 2001 as a vehicle for generating discussion in the Commonwealth. That discussion must be based on concrete ideas and details rather than educated guesses.

By no means, however, should this language be considered final. As with all pending legislation, there may or may not be situations and/or circumstances that have not been fully addressed. You may think of something no one else has considered. It’s important that any language creating a constitutional convention is as solid and comprehensive as possible before being passed.

Therefore, we invite you to inspect, review, and question the provisions of the language, and to carefully consider the possibilities for, and the implications of, moving it through the legislative process. PACleanSweep welcomes any and all feedback.

After all, we’re all in this together.