The State Constitutional

Convention Clearinghouse

U.S. states where the people can use a periodic state constitutional convention referendum
to bypass the legislature's gatekeeping power over constitutional amendment

Connecticut Constitutional Conventions

Constitutional Amendment Section
of Connecticut’s Constitution

Color Code: Highlights in red; Majority requirements in bold.

ARTICLE TWELFTH.*
OF AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any member of the senate or house of representatives. An amendment so proposed, approved upon roll call by a yea vote of at least a majority, but by less than three-fourths, of the total membership of each house, shall be published with the laws which may have been passed at the same session and be continued to the regular session of the general assembly elected at the general election to be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November in the next even-numbered year. An amendment so proposed, approved upon roll call by a yea vote of at least three-fourths of the total membership of each house, or any amendment which, having been continued from the previous general assembly, is again approved upon roll call by a yea vote of at least a majority of the total membership of each house, shall, by the secretary of the state, be transmitted to the town clerk in each town in the state, whose duty it shall be to present the same to the electors thereof for their consideration at the general election to be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November in the next even-numbered year. If it shall appear, in a manner to be provided by law, that a majority of the electors present and voting on such amendment at such election shall have approved such amendment, the same shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of this constitution. Electors voting by absentee ballot under the provisions of the statutes shall be considered to be present and voting.

*(Art. Twelfth amended in 1974. See Art. VI of Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut.)

Article THIRTEENTH.
OF CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.

Section 1. The general assembly may, upon roll call, by a yea vote of at least two-thirds of the total membership of each house, provide for the convening of a constitutional convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state not earlier than ten years from the date of convening any prior convention.

Section 2. The question “Shall there be a Constitutional Convention to amend or revise the Constitution of the State?” shall be submitted to all the electors of the state at the general election held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in the even-numbered year next succeeding the expiration of a period of twenty years from the date of convening of the last convention called to revise or amend the constitution of the state, including the Constitutional Convention of 1965, or next succeeding the expiration of a period of twenty years from the date of submission of such a question to all electors of the state, whichever date shall last occur. If a majority of the electors voting on the question shall signify “yes”, the general assembly shall provide for such convention as provided in Section 3 of this article.

Section 3. In providing for the convening of a constitutional convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state the general assembly shall, upon roll call, by a yea vote of at least two-thirds of the total membership of each house, prescribe by law the manner of selection of the membership of such convention, the date of convening of such convention, which shall be not later than one year from the date of the roll call vote under Section 1 of this article or one year from the date of the election under Section 2 of this article, as the case may be, and the date for final adjournment of such convention.

Section 4. Proposals of any constitutional convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state shall be submitted to all the electors of the state not later than two months after final adjournment of the convention, either as a whole or in such parts and with such alternatives as the convention may determine. Any proposal of the convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state submitted to such electors in accordance with this section and approved by a majority of such electors voting on the question shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as a part of this constitution. Such proposals when so approved shall take effect thirty days after the date of the vote thereon unless otherwise provided in the proposal.

Source: Connecticut Constitution

2008 Election Cycle--News

News

Stuart, Christine, Voters Defeat Constitutional ConventionCT News Junkie, November 5, 2008.

Keating, Christopher, Constitutional Convention Rejected, Hartford Courant, November 5, 2008.

How the Constitutional Convention Works in CT, NBCconnecticut.com, November 4, 2008.

Pazniokas, Mark, State Voters’ Faith Is Broken; Residents Want Their Own Shot At Making Laws, Hartford Courant, October 30, 2008.*

Stuart, Christine, Law Professors Talk About The “Ifs” Of Constitutional Convention, CT News Junkie, October 30, 2008.

Constitutional convention one of two questions on statewide ballot, The Register Citizen News, October 29, 2008.

Voters to decide on constitutional convention, Stamford Advocate, October 29, 2008.

Stuart, Christine, Governor Supports A Constitutional Convention But Not To Ban Gay MarriageCT News Junkie, October 24, 2008.

Stuart, Christine, Rep. Caruso Says ‘No’ To Constitutional ConventionCT News Junkie, October 24, 2008.

Stuart, Christine, Constitutional Convention: False hope or direct democracy?CT News Junkie, October 23, 2008.

Lash, Devon, Constitution question creates conflict, Connecticut Post, October 23, 2008. (link no longer works but article can be found here and comments here)

Keating, Christopher, A Powerful Question For Voters: Should State Constitution Be Opened Up To Change?, Hartford Courant, October 18, 2008.*

Keating, Christopher, Catholic Bishops Urge ‘Yes’ Vote On Constitutional Convention, Hartford Courant, October 11, 2008.

Stuart, Christine, Debate On A Constitutional Convention Heats UpCT News Junkie, September 17, 2008.

Bass, Paul, Ballot Cry: Just Say “No”, New Haven Independent, October 16, 2008.

Hladky, Gregory B., Taking Sides on a Constitutional Convention, New York Times, October 3, 2008.

Altimari, Danieli, Rally Pushes Constitutional Convention, Hartford Courant, September 29, 2008.

Phaneuf, Keith M., Opponents of changes to state constitution gear up for fightJournalInquirer.com, September 18, 2008.

Weeks, Luther, Constitutional Vote Will Not Be Audited, CTVotersCount.org, September 18, 2008.

Stuart, Christine, Debate On A Constitutional Convention Heats UpCT News Junkie, September 17, 2008.

Fighting A Ballot Question: Pricey Effort Waged Against Direct Initiative, HartfordInfo.com, August 20, 2008. See also: What is lacking in Connecticut’s Post-Election Audits.

Haigh, Susan, Constitutional Convention Urged: Advocates Want Wording Changed To Allow Ballot Initiatives, Hartford Courant, June 27, 2008.

Stuart, Christine, On the Ballot in November, CT News Junkie, June 26, 2008.

Poll

University of Connecticut Center for Survey Research & Analysis.  Likely voters in Connecticut support holding a Constitutional Convention, according to a new survey sponsored jointly by the Hartford Courant and the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut. The Hartford Courant/CSRA survey finds 50% of Connecticut likely voters support holding a Constitutional Convention, compared to 39% who oppose a convention. Eleven percent of likely voters remain undecided.

Opinion–Vote Yes

Jacob, Paul, The million-dollar question, Townhall.com, Nov. 2, 2008.

Powell, Chris, Scare tactics used to avert convention, Journal inquirer, October 28, 2008.

Opinion–Vote No

Simpson, Stan, We Don’t Need A Constitutional ConventionHartford Courant, November 1, 2008

Campbell, Susan, About A Constitutional Convention, Hartford Courant, October 28, 2008.

Green Rick, ‘Direct Democracy’ Would Mean Sheer ChaosHartford Courant, October 21, 2008.

Green Rick, Injecting Chaos Into Democracy, Hartford Courant, September 23, 2008.

Editorial–Vote Yes

Consider the motives on ballot questions, The Register Citizen, October 29, 2008.*

Editorial–Vote No

Our View: Don’t Open Constitution * There Are Less Dangerous Ways To Amend It, Hartford Courant, October 27, 2008.

No Constitutional convention isn’t needed, News Times, October 24, 2008.

Letters-To-The Editor (consolidated)

Your Letters, Hartford Courant, October 21, 2008.

Campaign Finance

Vote No to Protect Our Constitution

Constitutional Convention Campaign (Vote Yes)

Campaign Websites

CT-Vote No, http://www.ctvoteno.org/home  (the website no longer exists)

Organizational Advocacy–Vote Yes

Email From Connecticut Catholic ConferenceConnecticut Catholic Corner, October 10, 2008.

Organizational  Advocacy–Vote No

Orleans, Jonathan B., Why ACLU-CT Members Should Vote Against Calling a Connecticut Constitutional Convention, Civil Liberties Beacon, Fall 2008.

AFSCME Council 15 

ALERT 2008-34, October 15, 2008; updated December 9, 2008.

Alert 2008-33 Ballot Question on Constitutional Convention, October 15, 2008.

Alert 2008-37 Protect Your Rights, August 13, 2008; updated December 9, 2008.

Alert 2008-36 VOTE “NO” on Ballot Q1, August 6, 2008; updated December 9, 2008.

 

2008 Election Cycle--Pro & Con Videos

Videos–Vote No

TV ad from Vote No: Protect our Constitution and ctvoteno.org. Don’t let special interests run amok. Uploaded on Oct 19, 2008.  This ad was widely shown on Connecticut broadcast TV stations the last few days before the referendum.

There were two Vote No ads shown on TV but as of Sept. 10, 2015 only the one above was available online.

  1. Vote No! on Question 1: TV Spot #1
  2. Vote No! on Question 1: TV Spot #2

Videos–Interview with Vote Yes Advocate

Corinn Dahm spoke with Peter Wolfgang about the recent Connecticut State Supreme Court ruling that undemocratically forced same-sex marriage on the state of Connecticut. Our best—very likely our only—chance to restore marriage and self-government in Connecticut is for the majority of state voters to vote Yes on Question 1 on Election Day (Nov. 4th) to have a constitutional convention.  Uploaded on Nov 3, 2008.  Shown on Catholic Television.

1965 Constitutional Convention
Norman-Eady, Sanda and Kristin Sullivan, 1965 Constitutional Convention, Connecticut Office of Legislative Services, Research Report 2008-R-0456, October 16, 2008.

Journal of the Constitutional Convention of Connecticut, 1965, State of Connecticut, 238 pages.