Opponents of a Constitutional Convention don't want you to get involved in state government. And they certainly don't want you to ask how government can change to make Hawai'i better.

Those who gain from the status quo get their power from special interests and taxpayer dollars, and you can't fix it without getting involved.

We have accomplished many significant reforms over the past several years to make government work better, but at its core is a system that values special interests over ordinary citizens.

It is a system fueled over decades by entrenched partisan interests of career politicians. It got a boost last week when we experienced the lowest voter turnout since statehood.

That's great news to opponents of a ConCon who want to maintain the status quo, but to the rest of us, it is a troubling display of voter apathy.

Our low voter turnout, which consistently ranks last in the nation, comes at a time when we're experiencing the greatest surge in voter registration in recent memory. This disconnect is the result of a lack of confidence in government's ability to solve important problems facing families.

Perhaps the most glaring example is our approximately $2.4 billion centralized statewide public school system. We invest more per student than 34 other states, yet student scores on nationwide standardized tests continue to rank near the bottom.

Why does such generous funding produce such inadequate results? Quite simply, the education system is broken. Funds are not reaching the classroom and parents are being left out of the decision-making process.

Hawai'i is the only state in the nation that does not have local school boards. But creation of local school boards is merely one possible response to our public education crisis.

A ConCon would allow for consideration of other education reform and decentralized decision-making, including better representation of rural Neighbor Island communities and adequate funding for charter schools.

Any major reforms are unlikely to make their way through the Legislature without a Constitutional Convention. The Legislature has control over the lawmaking process and the ballot box because there is no form of statewide public initiative and referendum for citizens to place measures directly on the ballot.

And unlike other public bodies in Hawai'i, our Legislature has discretion in holding closed-door meetings and is not required to let the public know how its decisions are made. This is because the Legislature exempted itself from the Hawai'i sunshine law.

We can change that through a ConCon by enacting a sunshine provision that would make sure the Legislature's business happens in front of the public and not behind closed doors.

Through a ConCon, we can enact healthcare reforms to keep doctors from leaving and improve access to quality healthcare on the Neighbor Islands.

We can reform campaign-spending laws and give citizens the power to approve or reject certain proposed tax increases and major public works projects.

We can strengthen the rights of crime victims and survivors.

We can address duplication of state and county services, such as roadways, land use, parks and water management.

Citizens can have a stronger voice in government by deciding to elect the chief elections officer, attorney general or public schools superintendent.

We can set up a process for Native Hawaiian self-governance and settle the dispute over how much ceded lands revenue is owed to the Hawaiian people.

We can put in place safeguards to protect the environment and conserve marine habitats, important ag lands and open spaces.

For less than one-third the cost of a legislative session, we can put the power of government in the hands of the people.

A ConCon is Hawai'i's chance for change, but only if we vote "yes."

Lt. Gov. James R. "Duke" Aiona Jr. wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.