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League Of Women Voters Sues Over 'Misleading' Ballot Summary Of Amendment Eight

The League of Women Voters of Florida wants a constitutional amendment it says is misleading removed from the November ballot. The target is Amendment Eight which critics say could lead to the creation of more charter schools.

The League’s Attorney Rom Meyer says the ballot summary of Amendment Eight is vague and doesn’t tell voters the main purpose of the proposal.

“The middle part of revision 8…says ‘local school boards shall operate and control all free public schools established by the local school board’. And the fact of the matter is, No one really knows-- outside the people who concocted this scheme---really knows what that is intended to mean," he says.

Amendment Eight includes two other issues—mandatory civics education and eight-year term limits on local school board members. Both are popular and critics see the pairing of the issues as an attempt to undermine local board authority to approve or deny charter schools. Such schools are publically funded yet privately managed. 

Copyright 2018 WFSU

Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lynn has served as reporter/producer for WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas. She is an award-winning member of the Capital Press Corps and has participated in the NPR Kaiser Health News Reporting Partnership and NPR Education Initiative. When she’s not working, Lynn spends her time watching sci-fi and action movies, writing her own books, going on long walks through the woods, traveling and exploring antique stores. Follow Lynn Hatter on Twitter: @HatterLynn.