STATEMENT BY SENATOR HARRY F, BYRD (D. VA.), CN THE REFERENDUM TO BE HELD ON
JANUARY 9, 1956. For release December 18, 1955
On January 9, I will cast my vote in favor of the calling of a limited
constitutional convention. . - ‘
Of the 140 members of the Legislature, 131 voted for a referendum, which
weuld authorize the calling of & limited constitutional convention, six voted
against and three were agbsent.
The proposal, after an exhaustive investigation, was¢ previously epproved
unanimously by the Gray Commission, composed of 32 outstarding Virginians.
It has since been approved by the Superintendent of Public Instructicn, many
leading educators, who are deeply interested in the preservation of eur school
system, and other public and private citizens.
CONVENTION CALL ONLY
_ Judging by the newspaper reports, there are some erroneous impressions as
to the effect and purpose of the January 9 referendum. It merely authorizes
the calling of a constitutional convention to consider one single amendment to
our State Constitution, and this is &s follows:
Toc permit the General Assembly and the governing bodies of the several
counties, cities and towns to appropriate funds for educationsl purposes
which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegilate
and graduate education of Virginia students in public and nonsectarisn
private schools and institutions of learning in addition to these owned
or exclusively contreolled by the State or any such county, city or town.
If the calling of such a convention is approved by a majority +f Virginiens
voting, then another State-wide election will be held to elect 4O members +to
this conventicn, one for each State Senatorisl District.
We should clearly understand that if affirmetive action is taken on January
9, the effect is simply to authorize the assembling of the Constitutienal Con-
. vention following election of 40 Virginians to serve as members of that con-
vention. / '
The voters will have the opportunity to elect Convention members for 6r
against the adoption of the proposal to amend our present Constitutisn. The pro-
- posged amendment is merely permissive and no final action can be taken unless
legislation is enacted by a majority of both the Senate and the House of
Delegates and signed by the Governor. v
Trerefore, throughout these democratic processes the will »f the people
ie protected in three ways:
First, the Constitutional Convention cannot be assembled to adopt this per-
missive smendment withcout a majority so voting on January 9.
: Second, another opportunity is given to the people to express their will
when the members of the Constitutional Convention are elected. Any qualified
veter can be a candidate in such election on a platform for or against the
proposed amendment.
Third, there is a further safeguard in that no actien can be tsken as a re-
sult of this amendment without approval of the General Assembly.
The amendment proposed i1s for the purvose of giving the Legislature some
~deeway, under specified conditions in seeking to preserve our public school
gsystem, which faces a threat such as has never occurred before.
Let us recognize that this is merely a first step. The road ahead of us
wlll be long and rocky.
In this statement I am not commenting on the other features of the Cray
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