The constitution of California is very easy to amend; get 8% percent of however many voters voted in the last general election to sign a petition and it’s on the ballot. The legislature need not be involved at all. Isn’t California in the minority in allowing amendments to be proposed like this? Here in Pennsyvania it takes two majority votes in the legislature with a general election in between; then a referendum is held. Amendents are rare. Which state has the most difficult amendment process? Do all states require a referendum as the final step?
Connecticut has essentially the same provision. However if the original vote in the legislature carries by a super-majority of three-fourths only requires one vote in the legislature.
Once every twenty years we also vote on whether to have a Constitutional Convention. Or the legislature can call for a Constitutional Convention by a 2/3 vote after at least ten years have passed since the last one. In any case the new Constitution of parts thereof are presented as a referendum.
The California Constitution is something like 900 pages long. It’s not like the U.S. Constitution, which could fit on the back of a jacket. It’s constantly amended all the time.
That’s all I got.
The Illinois constitution requires a vote every 20 years on whether or not to call a constitutional convention. I don’t know if that’s the only way to amend it, but if it is, that’s pretty extreme.
I’ll see your California Constitution and raise you one Alabama. Over 350,000 words, it’s the longest written Constitution in the world.
There is virtually no local legislative power in Alabama, meaning every municipal issue needs to be decided by the state legislature, and huge amounts of what would be home-rule stuff in other states is effected by amending the Constitution.