When state legislators in 2005 boldly gave themselves a pay raise, voters responded by demanding its repeal, sent dozens of lawmakers packing and elected a fresh crop of replacements.

Any suggestion that groundswell of opposition was sufficient to change the culture of corruption in Harrisburg has been rebutted repeatedly since then, particularly this year when 25 people associated with the state House of Representatives, including some of its most powerful leaders, have been charged with crimes.

It's time for another uprising, and simply turning some of the members out of office won't fix state government at its roots.

Democracy Rising, a public policy advocacy group, is encouraging voters to sign a petition calling for a constitutional convention, in which a panel of citizens -- not lawmakers -- would recommend fundamental changes to the state's ruling document. Actual changes would be the subject of another referendum, so the final say would be the voters'.

There are numerous hurdles that would have to be cleared before a convention could take place, and there is some potential peril in trying to tackle the base of Pennsylvania's democracy, but filling the Capitol building with signed petitions is as good a way as any to get the attention of the Legislature. The same way a pink slip will get the attention of an unenthusiastic employee.

Even if every one of Pennsylvania's 12.5 million residents could sign the petition, a convention would not be a certainty. That because it's the legislators themselves who decide if and when a convention will be held -- and they won't easily be persuaded to act against self-interest.

Pennsylvania has the most restrictive constitutional amendment process in the United States, according to the state Constitutional Convention Commission, which is made up of Democracy Rising, Common Cause, the Commonwealth Foundation and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. These organizations don't always agree on remedies, but they spoke with one voice when they requisitioned a study on constitutional conventions because they agree that Pennsylvania needs a lesson in integrity and effectiveness.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit Civic Research Alliance, which did the study, made no recommendation for action, but spelled out what is essential if a convention is to succeed. "Public support for a convention is strongly correlated with general discontent among the electorate, not only with government but with a range of institutions."

We've got that covered.

Of the four civic groups only Democracy Rising is calling for a constitutional convention now. Its petition drive seeks three things: a referendum on next November's ballot asking voters if they want a convention; a means of selecting delegates that is representative of the citizenry; and a method of allowing voters to leave parts of the constitution out of the debate.

What should such a convention include? With the fundamental goal of making state government work, delegates would be doing a huge service even if their work begins and ends with the Legislature.

• The state House has 203 members and the Senate has 50, adding up to a General Assembly that is too large, too expensive and too inefficient. It should be smaller.

• That means redoing the district boundaries, and doing so can't be left to the Legislature. A nonpartisan, independent commission needs to be created that will draw districts that are nearly equal in population, contiguous and not based on the home address of an incumbent.

• Pennsylvania must enact tough campaign finance rules so the size of a candidate's bank account doesn't trump the wishes of the majority.

• Citizens should have a regular means of forcing their elected representatives to take a step back and look at state government holistically. Regular constitutional conventions should be required, not so often as to be pointless or redundant. A substantive examination of state government every 20 years wouldn't be too cumbersome.

The Legislature is too large, too corrupt and, at various turns, too powerful and too inept. It's time for voters to take their government back, and the first step is through a constitutional convention.

Cartoonist Rob Rogers does "Rob's Rough," an early look at his work and his creative process, exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.