[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.25.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”79.8%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
This page presents democratic reform ideas a Rhode Island constitutional convention might consider. It is not meant to endorse any of these ideas except to say that I believe the authors of these proposals are generally public-spirited.<\/p>\n
When I highlight specific reform proposals, it is because they are reform areas where a legislature would have a conflict of interest proposing them. As a general rule, incumbent legislators oppose both changing the electoral rules that elected them and reducing barriers to electoral competition. To the extent they have been passed, most of the reforms described below have only been passed in states or towns with the constitutional initiative (or, more generically, the “ballot initiative); that is, where there is a legislative bypass mechanism to propose democratic reforms.<\/p>\n
–J.H. Snider, Editor<\/p>\n
Rhode Island<\/strong><\/p>\n An Overview of Rhode Island’s Elections System and Options for Reform<\/a>, People’s Party, Nov. 29, 2022. The People’s Party website can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n National (long-form such as books and studies)<\/strong><\/p>\n Troiano, Nick.\u00a0<\/span>The Primary Solution: Rescuing Our Democracy from the Fringes<\/i>. Simon & Schuster, 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n Williamson, Ryan, Evaluating the Effects of the Top-Four System in Alaska<\/a>, R Street, January 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n Gehl, Katherine M., and Michael E. Porter. The politics industry: How political innovation can break partisan gridlock and save our democracy<\/em>. Harvard Business Press, 2020. See the related campaign website, The Campaign for Final Five Elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n National (short-form such as popular articles)<\/strong><\/p>\n Pildes, Richard, There Is a Silver Lining in This Tense Election Year<\/a>, New York Times, Nov. 1, 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n How open primaries and ranked-choice voting can help break partisan gridlock<\/a>, PBS News, May 29, 2024. [Snider Note: this report focuses on national elections, but the same featured open primary and ranked choice law in Alaska also applies to state elections.]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Forrest, Brett, Colorado Supreme Court allows open primary, ranked-choice voting to move forward<\/a>, KOAA, June 6, 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n Open primaries give voters more control<\/a>, Daily Inter Lake (Montana), June 16, 2024. See Montanans for Election Reform<\/a> and Reclaim Idaho<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wines, Michael, The Ballot Measures Aim to Reduce Partisanship. Can They Fix American Politics?<\/a>, New York Times, June 25, 2024.<\/p>\n Illustrative Democratic Reform Groups, 2024 Election Cycle<\/strong><\/p>\n *Technically introduced by the legislature, but it would have been introduced by ballot initiative if the legislature hadn’t pre-emptively introduced it.<\/span><\/p>\n Center for Ballot Freedom<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pocasangre, Oscar and Maresa Strano, What We Know About Fusion Voting<\/a>, New America, July 16, 2024.<\/p>\n Open Letter from Scholars in Support of Re-Legalizing Fusion Voting<\/a>, July 11, 2024.<\/p>\n Drutman, Lee, Tabatha Abu El-Haj, and Beau Tremitiere. Reviving the American Tradition of Fusion Voting<\/a>, American Bar Association, May 31, 2024.<\/p>\n The Fulcrum<\/a>. A platform where insiders and outsiders to politics present ideas to repair our democracy.<\/p>\n Common Ground Democracy<\/a>. This blog, launched at the beginning of 2024, aims mostly to address issues concerning the structures and procedures of democracy.<\/span><\/p>\n These organizations focus on using the ballot initiative to pass laws a state legislature won’t pass. Rhode Island lacks the ballot initiative and instead relies on the periodic constitutional convention for this democratic purpose.<\/strong><\/p>\n FairVote<\/span><\/a>. A nonpartisan organization seeking better elections via ranked choice voting (RCV) and proportional RCV.<\/p>\n IndependentVoting.org<\/a>. A non-partisan organization devoted to empowering independent voters.<\/p>\n More Equitable Democracy<\/u><\/a>. A non-partisan organization whose mission is to advance racial equity by National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers<\/a>. A nonpartisan, member-led organization dedicated to structural election reforms focused on fostering democratic competition, including a level playing field on which that can occur.<\/p>\n Open Primaries.<\/a> A nonpartisan organization seeking to enact open primaries in all 50 states.<\/p>\n RepresentUs<\/a>. A nonpartisan anti-corruption organization seeking to fix broken and ineffective government by passing laws that hold corrupt politicians accountable, defeat special interests, and force the government to meet the needs of the American people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The People.<\/a> A nonpartisan organization that gathers and enables everyday Americans to find common ground and take action together to address the root causes of government ineffectiveness, not just symptoms. <\/span><\/p>\n Unite America<\/a>.\u00a0 A nonpartisan organization that invests in nonpartisan election reform to foster a more representative and functional government.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.3em” header_4_font=”|700|||||||” header_4_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”-25px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n J.H. Snider note: Why not hold a model state constitutional convention in Rhode Island prior to the Nov. 5 referendum? ASU Law’s model convention demonstrates how this might be done.<\/p>\n A press release for the event, dated May 30, 2024, can be found here<\/a>. A minute Arizona PBS interview preview of this conference on Mary 20, 2024 can be found here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n (The videos below contain the same basic information but are of decreasing length, with the first approximately 8 minutes, the second 2 minutes, and the third 1 minute.)<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oSFPOrEtQGc” _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vx41vL8z5Es” _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nNDE1-J6SSo” _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”15px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Snider, J.H., A Plea to Improve the State Constitutional Convention Process<\/a>, 2014. [J.H. Snider note: this was only a draft of a proposal that I expected to fine-tune if the 2014 convention referendum passed in Rhode Island. The basic point is that the convention process (higher elections) should be modernized just like ordinary elections.]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Senator Sam Zurier<\/a>, Rhode Island General Assembly<\/p>\n Elaina Goldstein<\/a>, IndependentVoting.org<\/p>\n J.H. Snider 1<\/a>, Rhode Island Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse (my comments focus on campaign finance issues)<\/p>\n J.H. Snider 2<\/a>, Rhode Island Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse (my comments focused on the Commission\u2019s final report)<\/p>\n All the written testimony can be found on the\u00a0<\/span>Commission\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Other speakers with notable reform ideas did not provide written testimony to accompany their public verbal testimony. The RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity separately provided a list of proposed reforms on its constitutional convention webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_line_height=”1.4em” header_5_line_height=”1.4em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n J.H. Snider Note: On August 5, 2024 at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Louisville, Kentucky, Ben Williams, NCSL’s Associate Director of Elections, presented the following data (click the image to enlarge it and make it readable). This year there are 29 election related ballot measures across 21 states.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/NCSL-Ballot-Measure-Data-2024-Election-Cycle-Slide-1.png” title_text=”NCSL Ballot Measure Data–2024 Election Cycle–Slide 1″ show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/NCSL-Ballot-Measure-Data-2024-Election-Cycle-Slide-2.png” title_text=”NCSL Ballot Measure Data–2024 Election Cycle–Slide 2″ show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_line_height=”1.4em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n (Data as of 7\/30\/24; Click to open up the table)<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/2024-07-31-Comparison-of-Preparatory-Commission-Reports.png” title_text=”2024-07-31–Comparison of Preparatory Commission Reports” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_testimonial author=”Former Rep. Stephen Erickson” job_title=”Erickson, Stephern, %22Why it’s time for Rhode Island to have a constitutional convention,%22 Providence Journal, Aug. 4, 2024″ url=”https:\/\/www.providencejournal.com\/story\/opinion\/columns\/2024\/08\/04\/what-rhode-island-stands-to-gain-from-a-constitutional-convention\/74528838007\/” url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” body_text_align=”left” author_text_align=”left” author_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”rgba(0,176,240,0.32)” custom_margin=”-40px||31px||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/www.providencejournal.com\/story\/opinion\/columns\/2024\/08\/04\/what-rhode-island-stands-to-gain-from-a-constitutional-convention\/74528838007\/” company_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ border_width_all=”1px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Do we want more competitive races? Start by eliminating the absurd limit on declarations of candidacy to three days and the limit to collect signature during a 10-day period with a holiday. Both rules subvert democracy, protect incumbents and discourage entry into the political system….<\/p>\n We need an independent redistricting commission with no members of the General Assembly. It should no longer be possible for incumbents to pick their district lines.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_testimonial author=”Rep. Evan Shanley” job_title=”Warwick Democrat, Rhode Island General Assembly” company_name=”Cited in %22RI House lawmakers approve $13.9B budget. Here’s what to expect next, %22Providence Journal, June 7, 2024″ url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” body_text_align=”left” author_text_align=”left” author_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”rgba(0,176,240,0.32)” custom_margin=”-40px||31px||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/www.providencejournal.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2024\/06\/07\/ri-lawmakers-debate-the-states-13-9b-budget\/74015243007\/” company_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ border_width_all=”1px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Democratic leaders, who have blocked the creation of an inspector general for at least 14 years, held firm, denying the amendment on a 61-to-11 vote.<\/p>\n Rep. Evan Shanley, a Warwick Democrat, suggested an inspector general is an “excellent” idea, but one that is better addressed in a Constitutional Convention than in the budget.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_testimonial author=”Sen. Sam Zurier” job_title=”Providence Democrat, Rhode Island General Assembly” company_name=”Cited in %22Election-related wins and losses from the 2024 legislative session,%22 Rhode Island Current, July 5, 2024″ url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” body_text_align=”left” author_text_align=”left” author_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”rgba(0,176,240,0.32)” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/rhodeislandcurrent.com\/2024\/07\/05\/election-related-wins-and-losses-from-the-2024-legislative-session\/” company_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ border_width_all=”1px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Sen. Sam Zurier is eying a prospective convention to settle debate over alternative voting methods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Following his leadership of a Senate panel tasked with studying various voting options, Zurier, a Providence Democrat, pitched a\u00a0<\/span>legislative reform\u00a0<\/span><\/a>that would have removed the constitutional provision for plurality voting. His bill, along with a\u00a0<\/span>separate proposal<\/span><\/a>\u00a0by fellow Providence Democratic Rep. Rebecca Kislak to offer ranked-choice voting in presidential preference primaries, both failed to advance beyond committee this year.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_testimonial author=”Philip West” job_title=”Former Executive Director, Rhode Island Common Cause” company_name=”West, Philip, Secrets & Scandals: Reforming Rhode Island 1986-2006, Rhode Island Publications Society, 2014″ url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” body_text_align=”left” author_text_align=”left” author_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”rgba(0,176,240,0.32)” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Secrets-Scandals-Reforming-Island-1986-2006\/dp\/0990629317\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8BBK2TLHM2SA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5A3aAI2zZkW2dMpBEQDzoUKxVwYz4Y_YHPyJfYR3lnM0kjIXgVIMRBAtPUayVG-vK5A-brcq3xcwRahF3TyKpZJL_vRcv8nbxVcAuH2XBcroMiAg49N2JVc_YqLyVAV46njK6vRWtkfU9fZ5ucvYpyirV91Oz87bnwIhQbBIqK9GjINmQ3qTG_LziSeZ-xNH4YPNisAKQ4NzVvNqVWoQRHFnie41-dT_rMWkE8qy7LWWMALk7pFDUdNZ1VSaGACAnoIWUBK1RIMyUUvUgQ4jPPn3M4S8jN2HpApeFKWwlHs.PlNQhvFt3fuvdgRIIpqzar-_0e2mE15xbRC_EywHIlE&dib_tag=se&keywords=philip+west%2C+scandals&qid=1722788964&sprefix=philip+west%2C+scandals%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1″ company_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ border_width_all=”1px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Of all the struggles citizens waged to make Rhode Island’s government open and accountable to the people, redistricting delivered the least tangible results. Through four successive rounds of redistricting in 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2012, reformers advocated an independent process that would serve communities rather than incumbent legislators. Neither constitutional amendments nor genuine reforms were enacted, and legislative abuses carried the day…. Past experience suggests that nothing short of a new constitutional convention will be able to place such an amendment on the ballot.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_testimonial author=”Editorial” company_name=”Time to reframe Question No. 3,\u201d Westerly Sun, Oct. 26, 2014.” url_new_window=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” body_text_align=”left” author_text_align=”left” author_line_height=”1.8em” background_color=”rgba(0,176,240,0.32)” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20141029182357\/https:\/www.thewesterlysun.com\/news\/latestnews\/5883140-129\/editorial-time-to-reframe-question-no-3.html” company_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ border_width_all=”1px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [A]s a public service, we present 18 possible topics listed by the commission:<\/p>\n Elections:<\/strong> voter initiative or referenda petitions; independent redistricting commission; equal access to voting; run-off elections for the state\u2019s general officers.<\/p>\n Executive:<\/strong> line item veto; eliminate office of lieutenant governor; create independent auditor.<\/p>\n Legislative:<\/strong> term limits; extending ethics jurisdiction to lawmakers; ban on moral obligation bonds; recording of votes; stronger sunshine law; strengthen public access.<\/p>\n Judiciary:<\/strong> reform selection of magistrates; no lobbyists on Judicial Nominating Commission; right to a jury trial for ethics appeals.<\/p>\n Miscellaneous:<\/strong> fundamental right to education; ensure women\u2019s rights (equal pay, reproductive rights).<\/p>\n We join in urging a yes vote for a convention and urge supporters to get to work. It will be a tough fight against entrenched politicians and bureaucrats.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||2px||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||0px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Fahey, Katie, A crash course in making political change, TED Democracy, Nov. 2023.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/katie_fahey_a_crash_course_in_making_political_change?subtitle=en” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”10px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”54px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reform Ideas This page presents democratic reform ideas a Rhode Island constitutional convention might consider. It is not meant to endorse any of these ideas except to say that I believe the authors of these proposals are generally public-spirited. When I highlight specific reform proposals, it is because they are reform areas where a legislature […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1967","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1967"}],"version-history":[{"count":66,"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2810,"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1967\/revisions\/2810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhodeisland.concon.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Ballot Initiatives<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Fusion Voting<\/strong><\/h3>\n
National Media Outlets<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Platforms\/Blogs<\/strong><\/h4>\n
National Advocacy Organizations<\/strong><\/h3>\n
transforming electoral systems.<\/p>\nConCon Preparation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Reforming the Constitutional Convention Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Notable Preparatory Commission Written Testimony With Reform Ideas*<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Election Related Ballot Measures–2024 Election Cycle<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Comparison of Preparatory
Commission Reports<\/strong><\/h4>\n