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8A Page 15 California cities received detailed information on the ARRA funding allocations and how to apply for funds in the "City Funding Book" a publication produced by the League of California Cities last week. This booklet, posted on the League Web site lwww.cacities.oro/resource files/27711.2009ARRAReoort2.23.09.odf), contains information specific to California. It will be updated by League staff as new information becomes available. NLC will share examples on their Web site (www.nlc.ora) of what cities are doing with their funding. The Webcast is available for viewing at the economic recovery Webcast event site on www.nlctv.orQ/. Please see aRecent Events" and select the title "The Federal Recovery Package: What's In It for Cities and How to Access the Resources." You may also view the Webcast on the Federal Economic Stimulus section of the League's Web site at www.cacities.ora/federalstimulus. The next NLC Webcast on "Economic Recovery Implementation" is scheduled for 3 p.m. on March 11. Please visit www.nlctv.ora for more information. 'Constitutional Convention' Continued from Page 1... The summit was co-sponsored by the Center for Governmental Studies, Common Cause, The Courage Campaign, The Greenlining Institute, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, league of Women Voters, Planning and Conservation League, New America Foundation, and the William C. Velasquez Institute. The meeting drew 300 - 400 business leaders. government officials, public interest groups and interested citizens. Many city officials were in attendance at the summit, Including League First Vice President Ken Cooley, council member, Rancho Cordova. Chris McKenzie, League of California Cities executive director, also attended. Many ideas for constitutional changes were floated for preliminary consideration, including switching to a unicameral (singl~house) Legislature, eliminating the required two-thirds vote to pass a budget, changing the state initiative system, increasing the size of the legislature (thereby reducing legislative districts), and revisiting term limits. All were discussed as possible solutions to re~establish fiscal responsibility. accountability and effective representation. In theory, delegates to a convention could agree to change anything in the constitution and put their proposals on the statewide ballot. One of the key issues under discussion was whether any measure that is presented to the voters to call for such a convention should limit the nature of the Issues that could be raised at the convention. While 14 states automatically ask voters every ten to 20 years whether to have a constitutional convention or not, California has not engaged in such an effort since 1878 (www.sos.ca.oov/archives/1879/1879 CC papers findina aid.pdf.) Under California's constitution, a convention may not be called by citizen initiative; It requires two..thirds of the Legislature to agree to put the question of whether to have a constitutional convention on the ballot which can be approved by a majority of the voters. Some have suggested that legislators would not support such a measure, since it shifts critical decisions about budget rules away from the Legislature to the members of the convention. Senator and guest speaker Mark DeSauJnier (D-Concord) told attendees that he is testing that proposition, by his introduction of legislation calling for a convention. His SCR 3 proposes that voters be asked at the next general election to support the Legislature's providing for a constjtutional convention, to commence six months following voter approval of the measure. In addition to questions about whether and how to call for a constitutional convention, summit attendees were reminded that there are a number of other critical questions about the convention that would require answers. These include how statewide delegates would be selected, the period of time allotted for the convention. the issues and topics to be considered, and what rules would govern the convention. SCR 3 is currently silent on all of these questions. 8