Connecticut Local Politics

At the EDR forum at Wesleyan last night, Chairman Spallone was asked what election law legislation they will be take up this session. Here is the list (in my words):
A Senate vacancy bill (which would likely need a veto-proof majority)
A Constitutional Amendment that deals with some form of early voting/vote by mail (either early [...]

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The AP is reporting that the constitutional convention has failed by a wide margin.
In the end, it looks like people weren’t interested in changing the constitution after all. The effective “vote no” commercial that has been airing on state TV may in part be responsible, I’m thinking.
Voters also approved an amendment to allow certain 17-year-olds [...]

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9:17: Convention looks like it’s going down to defeat. With 25% in, it’s losing 61%-39%.
8:44: With 11% in, “no” is winning 61%-31%.
Right now a constitutional convention is losing by a wide margin with 4% of precincts in. The amendment allowing certain 17 year olds to vote in primaries is winning by a large margin.
And [...]

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According to a new poll out this morning, there is strong public support for a constitutional convention:

Voters favor amending the constitution to allow citizen ballot initiatives, but they reject the anti-gay-marriage sentiments prominent in calls for a constitutional convention.
The poll found that 50 percent of voters support a convention to amend the state constitution and [...]

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CT News Junkie reports that AG Richard Blumenthal and Comptroller Nancy Wyman are definitely not fans of the idea of a constitutional convention:
Standing on the steps of the state Capitol Wednesday, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who opposes a convention, said that there are better ways to change the state constitution, than holding a constitutional convention.

He [...]

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As many of you already know, there will be a question on the ballot this November asking whether or not Connecticut should hold a constitutional convention. This is mandated by the constitution itself. Every twenty years, this question is asked. In 1986, the answer voters delivered was no.
And the Secretary of the State thinks that [...]

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…135-12. That’s more than 2/3, and if that margin holds up in the Senate it’ll be on the ballot this year.

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Here is today’s Election Issues Go List for the House (the session was scheduled to begin at 11:30):
House Bill No. 5662. AN ACT CONCERNING AN AGREEMENT AMONG THE STATES TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BY NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE. This bill, which passed GAE last session, but did not receive a vote [...]

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… when they turn 18 by the general election (this bill needs a catchier title).
This bill, HJ 21, went to the floor of the House on Wednesday (the bill, detailed here, passed the House last session, but didn’t garner the 3/4 support necessary to go to the voters in 2008. As a result, it [...]

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Yes, there’s a special election about a week away. It’s quiet out there so far.
However, the Democrat, Ken Curran, is proposing something near and dear to my heart, a constitutional amendment establishing term limits:
Kenneth J. Curran (D), candidate for State Senate in the 32nd District, stated today that if elected, he would push for legislation [...]

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The constitutional amendment allowing certain 17-year-olds to vote in primaries has passed. The vote was 105 to 36. However, this did not meet the required threshold of 3/4 of the chamber for a referendum next year.
It will not be on the ballot in 2008, but still has a chance for 2010 if [...]

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If you tune into CT-N right now, you’ll see the debate over the proposed constitutional amendment to allow certain 17-year-olds to vote. You can also check out Lon Seidman’s liveblog of the debate at MLN.
Remember that any possible amendment, to appear on the ballot for 2008, must receive 3/4 of the vote in each house. [...]

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Disclosure: I am currently interning for Representative James Spallone (D-036) and have worked on this legislation for him.
Currently, Connecticut law allows citizens to become electors and vote (assuming they are registered) when they turn 18. They can show up to the polls on election day and vote for the choices in front of them, [...]

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