Florida Constitutional Amendment Voting Guide

[Watchingtheweasels]

Here's a list and my discussion of them:

Amendment 1
Taxes
Increases the amount of a home's value exempted from property tax

A no brainer. With the recent runup in property values, increasing the homestead exemption puts more money in your pocket. Vote Yes.

Amendment 2
Taxes
Makes the cap on nonhomestead parcel assessment increases permanent

Another no brainer. Prevents municipalities from imposing massive property tax increases. Voting yes not only keeps more money in your pocket, but avoids unexpected budget-busting tax hikes.

Amendment 3
Gambling
Requires voter approval of casino gambling

This is a bit more complicated.

Amendment 4
Suffrage
Restores the right to vote for most people with prior felony convictions upon completion of their sentences

Another no brainer. Vote no unless you want felons diluting your vote on election day.

Amendment 5
Legislature
Requires 2/3 vote of legislature to impose or increase tax or fee

Another no brainer. Vote yes to require supermajorities of a legislature to increase taxes.

Amendmen 6
Judiciary
Adds a Marsy's Law to state constitution, increases judicial retirement age to 75, and prohibits judges from deferring to administrative agencies in interpreting law

Vote yes. In the few years since 2016, we've seen how much damage unelected bureaucrats in administrative agencies can do to the people's agenda on the federal level. Prohibiting judges from allowing administrative agencies from interpreting law takes away that power from the bureaucracy and empowers the people.

Amendment 7
Education
Requires death benefits for first responders and military members, a supermajority vote for college fees, and adds state college system structure to constitution

This is the classic case of them trying to trick you into doing something that will screw you down to the road. After all, who would be against death benefits for first responders and military members? The poison pill comes when they add the state college system to the constitution. We've already got far too many colleges in the United States. They get too much money, and are far too expensive. What's more, they are uniformly almost communist in their leanings, even UF and FSU. Doing anything to increase their power is one of the worst things you can do. Vote No.

Amendment 9
Environment
Bans offshore oil and gas drilling and vaping in enclosed indoor workplaces

Probably a good idea. With Florida's tourist driven economy, you probably don't want the sort of oil drilling off Florida's coast as you see off the coasts of Houston and Louisiana.

Amendment 10
Admin of Gov't
Prohibits counties from abolishing certain local offices, changes start date of legislative sessions, and adds an executive office and executive department to constitution

Again, you don't want to restrict the ability of counties from abolishing certain local offices. You don't want to add to the size of government. Vote No.

Amendment 11
Admin of Gov't
Repeals the following: (a) a prohibition against aliens owning property, (b) a requirement for a high-speed ground transportation system, and (c) a provision saying that changes to a criminal statute are not retroactive

Another poison pill amendment. The danger in this is the provision saying that changes to a criminal statute are not retroactive. Forbidding retroactive prosecution of someone is a fundamental American right. You don't want Dems to start writing laws in a ten years that can make people criminals for "hate speech" and give them the power to prosecute you for something you said five years before the law was passed, do you?

Vote No.

Amendment 12
Gov't Acc
Prohibits public officials from lobbying for compensation while in office and six years thereafter

Easy yes vote.


Discuss...

[cook]

This was a tough ballot,don't remember seeing so many at once for amendments.I missed seeing transportation in #11.
In the past,I usually vote no for most new amends,but this year I voted for about half of them.

At one time I remember they would list the cost to the taxpayers for each amend....something like a fixed amount,undetermined,a percentage,no cost,etc......or am I thinking of another state I lived in?

[Florida Bullfrog]

Vote "No" on all of them. They're nearly all deceptively written and will have all sorts of unintended consequences. They prey upon the ignorance of voters to pass things the Legislature wouldn't. Thus the reason Florida's constitution dictates how pig farms can't raise their pigs.

For instance, Marcy's law is already codified in many Florida statutes. Did you know that? I'm a prosecutor and we already abide by many of those provisions. But some of the other provisions are going to end up being unconstitutional against the Federal Constitution. For instance, victims should not have the right to demand a speedy trial. They're ignorant of legal procedure and their demand will almost alway conflict with the Defendant's rights. The Federal Constitution focuses on the rights of the accused almost exclusively. Our Founders knew what unfair prosecution felt like and wanted safeguards to protect the accused. Marcy's Laws will cause many convictions that occur after its implementation to be overturned. Not good. All because a very angry victim's father from California wants to get his revenge on a system he feels betrayed him. Also, the requirement that all death penalty appeals be heard in 5 years and other appeals be heard quicker will break the appellate system unless you want to raise taxes and expand the bureaucracy.

Unintended consequences and voter ignorance of what they're supporting. Better to just elect good legislators and influence them thru the process than trying to apply patch jobs written by special interests groups to what ought to be a sacred document.

[francessanne]

do you have a specific issue with not allowing gambling in the state?