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A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, they can be appended to the constitution as supplemental additions, thus changing the frame of government without altering the existing text of the document.
A constituent assembly is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected by popular vote, drawn by sortition, appointed, or some combination of these methods. Assemblies are typically considered distinct from a regular legislature, although members of the legislature may compose a significant number or all of its members. As the fundamental document constituting a state, a constitution cannot normally be modified or amended by the state's normal legislative procedures in some jurisdictions; instead a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly, the rules for which are normally laid down in the constitution, must be set up. A constituent assembly is usually set up for its specific purpose, which it carries out in a relatively short time, after which the assembly is dissolved. A constituent assembly is a form of representative democracy.
The Topeka Constitutional Convention met from October 23 to November 11, 1855 in Topeka, Kansas Territory, in a building afterwards called Constitution Hall. It drafted the Topeka Constitution, which banned slavery in Kansas, though it would also have prevented free blacks from living in Kansas. The convention was organized by Free-Staters to counter the pro-slavery Territorial Legislature elected March 5, 1855, in polling tainted significantly by electoral fraud and the intimidation of Free State voters.
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the powers, duties, structure, and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state. The current Constitution of Florida was ratified on November 5, 1968.
State ratifying conventions are one of the two methods established by Article V of the United States Constitution for ratifying proposed constitutional amendments. The only amendment that has been ratified through this method thus far is the 21st Amendment in 1933.
The Constitution of the State of New Hampshire is the fundamental law of the State of New Hampshire, with which all statute laws must comply. The constitution became effective June 2, 1784, when it replaced the state's constitution of 1776.
Carl Tommy Cruz Gutierrez is an American politician who was the 6th Governor of Guam, serving two four-year terms with Lieutenant Governor Madeleine Bordallo from January 2, 1995, to January 6, 2003. Gutierrez previously served a total of nine terms as a Senator in the Guam Legislature and was chosen by his colleagues to serve as Speaker of the 17th and 18th Guam Legislatures, respectively.
The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constitution's provisions tend to be more detailed and amended more often than its federal counterpart. Because the history of the state constitution differs from the federal constitution, the New York Court of Appeals has seen fit to interpret analogous provisions differently from United States Supreme Court's interpretation of federal provisions.
The Constitution of the State of Alaska was ratified on April 4, 1956 and took effect with Alaska's admission to the United States as a U.S. state on January 3, 1959.
The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th U.S. state. At its ratification, the Oklahoma Constitution was the lengthiest governing document of any government in the U.S. All U.S. state constitutions are subject to federal judicial review; any provision can be nullified if it conflicts with the U.S. Constitution.
The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The Wisconsin Constitution was written at a constitutional convention held in Madison, Wisconsin, in December 1847 and approved by the citizens of Wisconsin Territory in a referendum held in March 1848. Wisconsin was admitted to the United States on May 29, 1848. Although it has been amended over a hundred times, the original constitution ratified in 1848 is still in use. This makes the Wisconsin Constitution the oldest U.S. state constitution outside of New England. Only Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island use older constitutions.
The Fifth Constitutional Convention of the U.S. Virgin Islands proposed a constitution for the United States Virgin Islands in May 2009.
Constitutional Convention elections were held in the Marshall Islands in November 1976.
A constitutional referendum was held in the United States Virgin Islands on 6 March 1979. Federal law passed by the United States Congress authorized the Virgin Islands and Guam to pass constitutions and form governments. A Constitutional Council had subsequently been elected in the 1977 general elections. The Council wrote and then unanimously adopted a draft constitution which provided for an elected governor and treasurer, a 17-seat Legislature, a local justice system and protections for Virgin Islander culture.
Judith Teresita Perez Won Pat, also known as Judi Won Pat, is a Guamanian politician, teacher, and school administrator who served as the speaker of the Guam Legislature from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party of Guam, served as the senator of the Guam Legislature from 1994 to 2003 and again from 2005 to 2017. Won Pat was the former sitting chairperson of the Committee on Education, Public Library and Women’s Affairs in the 32nd Guam Legislature.
Frank Flores Blas Sr. was a Guamanian politician, businessman and member of the Republican Party of Guam. Blas served as the 5th Lieutenant Governor of Guam from January 5, 1987 until January 2, 1995 for two consecutive terms under Governor Joseph Franklin Ada.
Theodore "Ted" Sgambelluri Nelson is a Guamanian retired politician. A member of the Democratic Party of Guam, Nelson served as Vice Speaker of Guam Legislature and senator in the Guam Legislature for 6 terms.
New York Proposition 1 was a 2017 ballot measure that would have established a constitutional convention to revise the Constitution of the State of New York, subject to the approval of the voters. Section 2 of Article XIX of the state constitution requires that every 20 years the ballot question "Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same?" should be submitted to the voters. The referendum was rejected by a large margin on November 7, 2017.
Judith Paulette "Judi" Guthertz is a Guamanian educator and former politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Guthertz served as senator in the Guam Legislature for three consecutive terms.
A referendum on holding a constitutional convention was held in the US Virgin Islands on 3 November 2020 alongside general elections. 72% of voters responding to the referendum question voted in favor and turnout was above the threshold required.
References
- 1 2 3 Guam Constitutional Convention 1977. Proceedings of the Guam Constitutional Convention 1977. Agana, Guam: 1979.
- ↑ U.S. Congress. Public Law 94-584. Washington, D.C.
- 1 2 3 Guam Legislature. Public Law 13-202. Agana, Guam.
- 1 2 3 Guampedia. Guam Constitutional Conventions (ConCon). Hagatna, Guam.
- ↑ Guam Legislature. Public Law 15-23. Agana, Guam.