2004 Constitutional Convention Referendum

Contents

  1. 2004 Bi-Partisan Preparatory Commission
  2. 2004 Campaign
  3. 2004 Campaign Finance Highlights
  4. 1996 Board of Elections complaints regarding Citizens for Representative Government campaign finance reports

1) 2004 Bi-Partisan Preparatory Commission

July 16, 2004

Minutes from the first of the seven public meetings of the Bi-Partisan Preparatory Commission to assemble information on constitutional questions in preparation for a vote by the qualified electors on the holding of a constitutional convention in accordance with Article XIV, Section 2 of the Rhode Island Constitution.

August 20, 2004

Report of the Bi-Partisan Preparatory Commission

 

2) 2004 Campaign

November 2, 2004

Date of referendum on whether to convene a state constitutional convention.  For ballot text, see Secretary of State’s voter Information Handbook.

Yes Campaign

Operation Clean Government, press release, September  12, 2004. Operation Clean Government, Citizen Alert: Special Election Issue Oct/Nov 2004, Volume 12, Number 3, October 4, 2004.

No Campaign

ACLU of Rhode Island, “Vote ‘No’ On Question 2.” October 18, 2004.  Released at press conference to announce the formation of Citizens for Representative Government Anderson, Liz, Coalition urges voters to oppose a Convention: More than 20 community groups have banded together to persuade voters that a Constitutional Convention could cost $2 million and do more harm than good, Providence Journal, October 19, 2004.  Two weeks before the election, Citizens for Representative Government holds a press conference to announce its formation with “more than 20 community groups.”

Newspaper Op-eds Favorable

Collection of favorable op-eds (four).

Newspaper Op-eds Opposed

Collection of unfavorable op-eds (three).

Newspaper Editorials Favorable

Collection of favorable editorials (seven)

Newspaper  Editorial Opposed

None (If you find one, please let RhodeIslandConCon.info know).

 

3) 2004 Campaign Finance

October 17, 2004

Rhode Island College poll finds that the yes campaign is ahead 2:1 (44% for, 17% against, 26% undecided, and 9% won’t vote on it)

October 19, 2004

Operation Clean Government filed expenditure disclosures for both questions #1 (regarding separation of power) and #2 (regarding the constitutional convention) on October 19 and November 3.

November 2, 2004

Date of referendum on whether to convene a state constitutional convention.

November 2, 2004, 3:24 pm

Citizens for Representative Government filed campaign disclosures regarding Question #2 with the Rhode Island Board of Elections.  The simultaneously submitted disclosures include:

November 5, 2004

Article in the Pawtucket Times on how after the election, Operation Clean Government publicly revealed the shoddy and illegal ballot campaign finance disclosure of Citizens for Representative Government.

November 17, 2004

Rhode Island Board of Elections sends a letter to the ACLU of Rhode Island requesting that it “provide the necessary disclosures to be compliant with the Rhode Island Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act.

November 18, 2004

Anderson, Liz, Election spending reports probed: The Board of Elections and an advocacy group are looking into whether some organizations need to disclose what they spent lobbying for ballot questions, Providence Journal, November 18, 2004. Rhode Island ACLU files lawsuit against the unreasonably burdensome ballot disclosure law in Rhode Island.  Opinion issued in April 2006 (see below).

December 14, 2004

The Providence Journal‘s Deputy-Pages Editor writes a commentary.

January 5, 2005

Complaint from Operation Clean Government to Rhode Island Board of Elections regarding Citizens for Representative Government and some of its members including, Edward O’Brien, ACLU of Rhode Island, Common Cause of Rhode Island, H. Philip West, Jr., NEA/RI and Guy Default.

January 6, 2005

Mayerowitz, Scott, Watchdog group asks governor to replace Begin; Operation Clean Government also files complaints with the Board of Elections against two advocacy groups, Providence Journal, January 6, 2005.

January 25, 2005

The Providence Journal‘s Deputy-Pages Editor Ed Achorn writes a commentary, Hiding Behind Mr. O’Brien, an investigative report of the secret (but legal) financing of the Citizens for Representative Government no campaign.

March 7, 2005

Elections Board to examine spending on ballot questions: The present statute is “ambiguous and impractical, resulting in an unenforceable law,” board chairman Roger N. Begin says, Providence Journal, March 7, 2005.

October 27, 2005

November 10, 2005

Complaint from Operation Clean Government to Rhode Island State Police requesting that the Rhode Island State Police conduct an investigation to determine whetherequr actions of Guy Dufault are in violation of Rhode Island General Law.

November 11, 2005

Baron, Jim, Forgery ChargedPawtucket Times, November 11, 2005. Gregg, Katherine, Political fallout continues for Dufault as complaint filed, TV show dropped; A citizens’ group raises allegations that the lobbyist forged a signature on election documentsProvidence Journal, November 11, 2005.

November 15, 2005

Press release from Operation Clean Government: RI Board of Elections is derelict in its duties to uphold clean elections by ignoring complaints regarding Dufault and others

April 2006

Memorandum and Order, Chief Judge Ernest C. Torres, Rhode Island Affiliate, American Civil Liberties Union v. Rhode Island Board of Elections, C.A. No. 04-487-T, 38 pages ——————————————————————————- Source: Most of these documents were provided by Beverly Clay, Research Director for Operation Clean Government from 1993-2011.

 

4) 1996 Board of Elections complaints regarding Citizens for Representative Government campaign finance reports

Citizens for Representative Government opposed the 2004 state constitutional convention referendums and was at the center of the 2004 campaign finance investigation by the Rhode Island State Board of Elections.

Citizens for Representative Government formed in 1996 to oppose ballot question #8, which was an advisory referendum concerning a voter initiative proposed by the governor. The group was in violation of campaign finance laws as described below.

November 22, 1996

Letter from Rhode Island State Board of Elections to Senator Marc Cote regarding the failure of Citizens for Representative Government to required finance reports.

November 25, 1996

Letter from Senator Marc Cote to Rhode Island Secretary of State James Langevin requesting that Langevin review the legality of the Notice of Organization filing by Citizens for Representative Government.

December 3, 1996

Citizens for Representative Government files campaign disclosures regarding Question #8 with the Rhode Island Board of Elections.

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Source: These documents were provided by Beverly Clay, Research Director for Operation Clean Government from 1993-2011.