HARRISBURG -- A coalition of good-government groups today issued 131-page call to action aimed at drumming up support for a constitutional convention to make government more accountable and to protect against abuses of power.

The report comes four days after 10 Republican lawmakers were arrested in the second phase of a government corruption investigation known as bonusgate. They are accused of illegally using public funds to buy computer equipment and develop programs for use in campaigns.

Matt Brouillette, director of Commonwealth Foundation, said constitutional changes could restrict government power and prevent those kind of abuses.

His group along commissioned the report along with Democracy Rising PA, Common Cause PA and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania's Citizen Education Fund.

"We offer this report as a catalyst of broad public debate on how to improve and modernize state and local government, and how such reforms can best be accomplished," Mr. Brouillette said at a press conference in the Capitol rotunda.

The report, "The Citizen's Guide to a Modern Constitutional Convention" was written by Kerry L. Moyer and Mark W. Podvia of The Civic Research Alliance.

Mr. Moyer said it's unlikely lawmakers would agree to a constitutional convention any time soon, particularly one that might explore restricting their power, reducing their number and descreasing their pay.

Rosemarie Swanger, R-Lebanon, and Kurt Schroder, R-Chester, have introduced legislation that calls for a convention, but legislative leaders have not allowed it to come to a committee vote.

A committee vote is the first step in a process that requires passage by both chambers and a voter referendum.

The last time that occured was 1968.

Tim Potts of Democracy Rising says the time is ripe for another. People are motivated to restrict government power because they've seen so many abuses of it in the last few years.

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