Rhode Island convention plans opposed by unions, women's health groups

(The Center Square) — A coalition of unions, civil liberties and reproductive rights groups are pushing back against Rhode Island's plans to hold a constitutional convention, even though it's unclear what would be taken up at the once-in-a-decade meeting.

At a legislative hearing on Wednesday, lawmakers met to hammer out final plans for a ballot question in the November elections asking voters if the state should hold a constitutional convention.

“Rhode Island’s Constitution is a living and breathing document that charts the course of our daily lives," state Rep. Robert Craven, a North Kingstown Democrat and co-chair of the panel, said in remarks at Wednesday's inaugural committee hearing. "Times change and so do the issues the public deeply cares about."

It's not yet clear what would be on the agenda for a constitutional convention next year if voters approve the move. With Democrats holding a super majority in the state Legislature, possible amendments might include enshrining the right to get an abortion and other liberal proposals, political observers say.

Despite that, critics of the plan — including Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island chapter of the AFL-CIO — are mobilizing in an effort to convince voters to oppose the ballot question.

"Approval of a constitutional convention is a significant threat to our civil rights," the coalition said in a statement. "Across the country, efforts to undermine affirmative action, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, worker rights, and immigrant rights have become fodder for expensive statewide campaigns mounted by well-funded, out-of-state special interests."

Critics point to the 1986 convention, where delegates approved a 'right to life' amendment declaring that life begins at conception. The proposal was placed on the ballot in the November elections but was defeated by 66% of the state's voters.

"There’s absolutely no reason to believe the constitutional convention in 2026 would be any more sympathetic to civil rights and civil liberties than the one in 1986," Steve Brown, executive director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, told reporters at a Wednesday briefing.

The coalition argues that taxpayers would be saddled with the cost of hosting the convention, which state officials have estimated to be more than $2 million in previous years.

"That estimate is sure to be significantly higher when the new estimates are prepared for a convention this year," the group said. "There are much better uses and services where that money could be spent."

Rhode Island Republicans, who are largely locked out of the legislative process, are among those who support a constitutional convention to highlight issues that seldom get consideration in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Rhode Island is one of five states, including Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa and New Hampshire, where voters automatically get a chance to vote to hold a constitutional convention every decade. The state Legislature can also vote to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

In Rhode Island and other states, the sky’s the limit for contributions to ballot question committees. Unlike contributions to individual candidates, donations to referendum campaigns are unrestricted, and corporations often get involved, as do special interests, labor unions and others.

"The influence of out-of-state special interests, empowered to spend without limits, further jeopardizes the integrity of our democratic process, potentially swaying outcomes away from the will of the people and towards narrow ideological agenda," Vimala Phongsavanh, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, said during Wednesday's briefing.

If voters approve the move, the state must hold a special election to pick 75 convention delegates, each representing a district in the House of Representatives.