Media Advisory
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Conference to address "Getting to Reform"

Contact: Kathleen Maclay, Media Relations
(510) 643-5651
kmaclay@berkeley.edu

08 October 2009

ATTENTION: Political, public affairs and economic reporters and editors


 WHAT

"Getting to Reform, Avenues to Constitutional Change in California," a conference in the state capital that will be devoted to exploring California's best route toward governmental reform.

The event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies, Stanford University's Bill Lane Center for the American West, and the Center for California Studies at Cal State, Sacramento, it will explore:

  • What Californians think about reform
  • Legal and political opportunities and obstacles presented by the legislative initiative, constitutional revision commissions or holding a constitutional convention
  • Lessons from California's extensive history of constitutional reform efforts - dating back to a special convention in 1879, continuing with Progressive reforms of 1911 and up through constitutional revision commissions established in the 1960s and '90s
  • Reform's next steps

 WHEN

9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14

 WHERE

The Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J St., Sacramento. For a map and directions, visit the Sacramento Convention Center Web site.

 WHO

Academic experts, policymakers and interest group leaders will lead the discussions.

The first panel will focus on a new Field Poll of public attitudes about reform, with analysis by Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo, UC Berkeley political scientists Jack Citrin and Henry Brady, research fellow Tammy Frisby of the Hoover Institution and Kimberly Nalder, associate professor of government at California State University, Sacramento.

DETAILS