Lt. Gov. James R. "Duke" Aiona today released the final report of the Constitutional Convention Cost Task Force on the cost of holding a constitutional convention.

After many meetings May 30, the 11-member nonpartisan group of community, government and legislative officials says the potential cost of holding a constitutional convention is somewhere between $2,329,656 and $11,114,045.

Several factors affect the overall cost of including: the process to elect constitutional delegates; the facility to house the convention; the number of delegates and length of convention; compensation for delegates, delegate staff and convention staff; the cost of equipment, supplies and other miscellaneous expenses; and the cost of a public information/voter education program.

There are several scenarios between the lowest and highest cost estimates.

If the public decides in the November 2008 general election to hold a constitutional convention, the State Legislature will determine the appropriate time, place, number of public delegates and level of funding for a convention, among other considerations.

Aiona has created a page on his Web site, http://hawaii.gov/ltgov/concon, where the public can access the Task Force final report and additional constitutional convention-related information.

"The bottom line is a ConCon is the people's convention," Aiona said. "I trust the people of our state will make the best decision for Hawai'i's future."

The last constitutional convention in Hawai'i was held in 1978. It helped to require that the governor submit an annual balanced budget, create the Council on Revenues to prepare revenue estimates for a six-year planning period, establish resign-to-run provisions for elected officials seeking another political office, adopt the Hawaiian language as an official state language, create the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Judicial Selection Commission, and establish term limits for the governor and lieutenant governor.

The question that will appear on the ballot is, "Shall there be a convention to propose a revision of or amendments to the Constitution?"