In case you missed this news report:

On the 173rd anniversary of Michigan joining the Union, Cheboygan County Drain Commissioner Dennis Lennox, Republican candidate for the State House, formally announced his support for a constitutional convention.

“Just as Governor Romney and other civic leaders came together to fix a broken system of government, we need to come together, as Republicans, Democrats and independents, to get Lansing working again,” said Lennox, who is seeking the 105th District seat held by term-limited House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer. “It’s time for a new constitution that overhauls, restructures and reinvents government at all levels to reflect the realities of the twenty-first century.”

Michigan’s last constitutional convention, held in 1961/62, was spearheaded by future Governor George Romney and his Citizens for Michigan organization. Six conventions have been held since statehood, though only four constitutions — 1835, 1850, 1908 and 1963 — have been adopted by the people.

“Michigan is one of the most over-governed states in the country,” said Lennox, who noted there is one elected politician for every 166 people in Cheboygan County. “We must rationalize government to rid ourselves of the cumbersome structure of government that we have today.”

Among proposals Lennox says should be considered at a constitutional convention:

• Requiring the Legislature to pass a budget by July 1.
• Election of Supreme Court justices by district.
• Amalgamating the boards of control of the 15 universities and the state Board of Education.
• Granting the governor full power over the cabinet, including hire/fire controls over all department directors.
• Amalgamating the Department of Civil Rights into the Department of Attorney General.
• Consolidating state boards, commissions and advisory councils.
• Amalgamating administrative functions of school districts by counties.
• Removing statutory language from constitutional provisions.
• Devolving secretary of state services to county clerks.
• Expanding home-rule powers to counties with the creation of elected executives in all counties above a minimum population threshold.
• Establishing minimum population thresholds for cities, villages and townships.
• Reducing the number of counties by increasing regional collaboration and service pooling by local government.

FAST FACTS ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS

• If a constitutional convention is called in November, delegates would be elected, on a partisan basis, in each of the 148 Senate and House constituencies.
• The people of Michigan have adopted four conventions (1835, 1850, 1908 and 1963) and rejected two (1867 and 1873).
• Each constitutional convention sat in session for an average of just under four-and-a-half months.
• A constitutional convention has been called, on average, every 33 years.
• Ballot questions to call a constitutional convention had majority support in 1892, 1898 and 1904, but failed because the 1850 constitution required a majority of those voting in the election and not a majority voting on the question.
• The last constitutional convention was convened after a question passed in the April 1961 election by a margin of 23,421 votes (596,433 to 573,012).
• The present constitution was approved in April 1963 by a close vote of 810,610-803,436.
• Since its adoption in 1963, amendments to the constitution have appeared on the ballot in every general election except 1990.