United States Constitution -- 21st Century Convention

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Eric Grimm <ecgrimm () me com>
> Date: July 19, 2017 at 8:23:09 AM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: United States Constitution -- 21st Century Convention
>
> Hello, Dave.
>
> I'm not sure if this was previously a topic of discussion on your list last year or not.  I  just resubscribed and 
> was out of the loop for some time.  I apologize if the news is old.  
>
> I wager my question is not.
>
> Last September, in Williamsburg, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) held what amounts to a 
> dress-rehearsal or dry run for calling and then running a Convention to replace the United States Constitution:
>
> https://www.alec.org/article/article-v-simulation/ 
>
> The last time a convention was held (September 1787), initially multiple drafts were presented and ultimately 
> Madison's draft (the Virginia Plan) became the template.
>
> If such an event were to come to pass in 2017 or 2018 (states calling a new Convention), presumably it makes some 
> sense to have multiple proposals (not just the ALEC proposal) to present to the Convention.
>
> From my personal perspective, I would like to see one or more proposals drafted in as transparent a way as possible, 
> with as much input from as many smart (or just opinionated) people as possible from across the political spectrum.
>
> Other readers perhaps know better than I do whether the software developed by FSF for hammering out the GPL v.3 would 
> be suitable for crowdsourcing a proposed Constitution (or several proposals) to present to a Convention, if one just 
> happened to be called ... say, prior to the 2018 election, perhaps.
>
> I would also be interested in hearing from people interested in Con Law, what good questions are to ask and consider 
> as part of such a drafting process.
>
> I don't claim to have all the right answers, but I would like to gather the best questions, and have a lot of 
> cognitive firepower try to come up with the best solutions we can.
>
> The Electoral College has to go, more likely than not.
>
> And we are probably better off with something other than winner-take-all Congressional seats, that drive politics 
> into two-party polarization.
>
> But what about the power to "coin" money?  Perhaps a cryptocurrency update is in order.
>
> Some are likely to hold strong opinions about the replacement of Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, with the 
> inconsistent later precedents of Citizens United and McCutcheon v. FEC.
>
> Would it make sense to form a working group to start an open and transparent process of crowdsourcing the preparation 
> of a 21st Century constitution for the digital age?
>
> I would be eager to hear from your readers, and anyone else who catches wind of this proposal, how best to organize 
> such a project.
>
> Thanks so much!!!
>
> Eric C. Grimm
> Eric C. Grimm, PLLC
> 734.717.4900
> ecgrimm () umich edu
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad



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