Statement by the RI Citizens for Responsible Government:
"Since the last time a Rhode Island Constitutional Convention was held in 1986, Rhode Island voters have rejected this measure four times in a row – in 1994, 2004, 2014, and now 2024. The last two times it has been rejected by double digit margins. The people of Rhode Island, time and time again, have shown that they have no appetite for approving a long outdated process that would allow wealthy special interests to come into our state and threaten the civil rights we've fought so hard for – like reproductive rights, worker rights, LGBTQ+ rights, minority rights, and more.
Since Rhode Island's disastrous 1986 convention – when women's reproductive rights and minority rights came under attack – no state in America has held a Constitutional Convention, and only five states still require that this question is presented to voters. We're calling on the General Assembly to use the process we already have in place to amend the Constitution and remove the requirement currently in place that puts this question to voters every ten years. This process is a relic of the past, and in light of Rhode Islanders' steady and continuing opposition every ten years to a Constitutional Convention, we believe it's time to end this requirement."
