The Rhode Island State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse
Information on Rhode Island's constitutionally mandated Nov. 5, 2024 constitutional convention referendum, including news, opinion, and historyMission
In recent decades, the quality of public deliberation about periodic constitutional convention referendums in Rhode Island and elsewhere has been low. In particular, there has been a lack of historical, comparative, and normative information to help people understand this important democratic institution.
RhodeIslandConCon.info and its accompanying website, The State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse, seek to rectify this problem. In particular, RhodeIslandConCon.info seeks to elevate the quality of public deliberation on issues relevant to Rhode Island’s November 5, 2024 referendum on whether to convene a constitutional constitution, and, if voters pass the referendum, issues relevant to subsequent stages in the constitutional convention process.
Website
J.H. Snider, Editor
J.H. Snider is the president of iSolon.org, a public policy institute that focuses on the most difficult areas of democratic reform─where elected officials have a conflict of interest in bringing about reforms that might reduce their own power.
He has been a fellow at Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, New America (a DC-based thinktank), the American Political Science Association, and Northwestern University. Dr. Snider has a Ph.D. in American Government from Northwestern University and an A.B. in Social Studies from Harvard College.
Rhode Island Op-eds (2024 Cycle)
Snider, J.H., Why the opposition’s weird fixation on easily fixable ConCon flaws?, Warwick Beacon, Oct. 3, 2024.
Snider, J.H., Constitutional convention’s benefits outweigh cost, Providence Journal, Sept. 7, 2024. The print edition version of this op-ed was published under the title RI’s flawed obsession with a constitutional convention’s cost.
Snider, J.H., Legislature does a disservice to RI’s constitutional convention process, Providence Journal, June 23, 2024. The print edition version of this op-ed was published under the title Legislature is Subverting State’s ConCon Process.
Snider, J.H., and Gary Sasse, It’s past time for RI to prep for Nov. 5 constitutional convention, Providence Journal, May 12, 2024. The print edition version of this op-ed was published under the title Give priority to prep for constitutional convention.
Rhode Island Op-eds (2014 Cycle)
Constitutional Convention records speak for themselves,Warwick Beacon, November 4, 2014.
Constitutional Convention and the out-of-state-money bogeyman, Providence Journal, October 24, 2014.
Constitutional Convention purpose? Democratic reform , Valley Breeze, October 21, 2014.
1787: Vote No Against Convening a National Constitutional Convention (a satire), GoLocalProv, October 17, 2014.
R.I. handbook shows blatant bias, Providence Journal, September 25, 2014.
R.I.’s poor preparation for convention, Providence Journal, August 2, 2014.
‘Dark money’ drives R.I. constitutional convention votes, Providence Journal, June 13, 2014.
R.I. needs a constitutional convention, Providence Journal, March 21, 2014.
Compilation of Op-eds
Snider, J.H., The U.S. State Con-Con Papers, Social Science Research Network, June 24, 2024.
[T]his commentary is written primarily to address the fear of convention opponents. One negative argument suggests that a constitutional convention puts civil rights “at risk.” History emphatically proves the opposite. Our Article I – “Declaration of Certain Constitutional Rights and Principles” – by its placement demonstrates the primary concern of our constitutional drafters for individual liberty. The 1973 convention (in which I served as secretary and delegate) expanded voting rights. The 1986 convention (in which I served as general counsel to the president) ensured the people’s rights to our shoreline (Section 17); protected private property rights in cases of eminent domain (Section 16); banned any law abridging the freedom of speech (Section 21); gave rights to victims of crime (Section 23); and added a concluding provision (Section 24) to embrace the concept that the Rhode Island Constitution is to be interpreted as expanding and not limiting individual rights, even though similar rights in the U.S. Constitution may be more narrowly defined. So much for conventions as threats to civil rights!