Come November, Illinois voters could say, 'Yes, we con con'

The word of the year for 2008 has to be "change."

It's been shouted from the mountaintops of the presidential campaigns where candidates promise something better. And it echoes in the valleys of Illinois, where there's talk of amending the constitution to let voters recall politicians deemed to be the worst.

Change will be on the ballot in Illinois this November whether we need it or not. Every 20 years, Illinois voters are required to weigh in on the idea of hosting a convention to rewrite the state's constitution, which was last rewritten in 1970.

"The idea was at least every 20 years, we'd have a chance to review and reflect," says Dawn Clark Netsch, a leader during that 1970 constitutional convention. Netsch, now 81 and a professor of law emeritus at Northwestern University, went on to become a state senator and Illinois' first female statewide office-holder when she was elected comptroller in 1990. She also was the first woman in a major party to run for governor.

A lawyer and delegate at the 1970 constitution convention, Netsch said a rewrite was long overdue then.

"Groups said, 'Enough is enough; we have to rewrite this constitution,' " Netsch recalls. "It was a bipartisan, very broad basis of support. Mostly because the 1870 constitution really reflected a different Illinois."

Stripping away many of the arcane agricultural rules as if separating the wheat from the chaff, Netsch and other constitutional conventioneers crafted a modern document. It gave cities and counties "home rule" powers, lifted restrictions on taxes and revenue-raising methods, unified the judicial system, established a bill of rights, started the state income tax, protected the environment and (in a movement Netsch championed) gave state government responsibility for funding schools.

"Many of us who were in the convention felt we really had written an awfully good document considering the tumultuous times in which we were working," Netsch says, recalling that era's contentious arguments about everything from the Vietnam War to abortion.

In 1988, voters overwhelming rejected the idea of another constitutional convention, in part because of an extensive information campaign by a large committee of which Netsch was a member.

"That (information campaign) unfortunately has not been done this time, except for groups like the Union League Club and the League of Women Voters," notes Netsch.

In an effort to remedy that lack of publicity, Netsch will speak at 7:45 a.m. Thursday at the second of three forums co-sponsored by the Union League Club of Chicago and the Civic Federation of Chicago. The forums are free and open to the public

With our last governor in prison after his corruption conviction and our current governor linked to a corruption court case, the constitutional convention's nickname of "con con" takes on additional meaning.

"Probably the single thing that may influence voters the most is that they are so turned off by the dysfunctional state government," Netsch says.

But voting for a constitution convention could open the door for groups with special interests in gay rights, taxes, guns, stem cell research, abortion, freedoms and other single issues they aim to expand or restrict. While stressing that she is striving to keep an open mind, Netsch admits she doesn't think we need a constitutional convention.

"There is nothing in the constitution that has created these problem or has prevented us from reaching settlements," Netsch says. "It's still a good document, even though all of us would like to change one or two items."

The public is welcome at the information forums, including Netsch's address Thursday morning, but reservations are required and participants are asked to observe the Union League Club's business casual dress code. Call (312) 435-5946 or e-mail publicaffairs@ulcc.org.