The public is invited to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville Tuesday to give input on possible changes to the state’s constitution.
The ideas that a special commission approves could appear on the ballot this fall.
Every 20 years, the state convenes a Constitutional Revision Commission to propose changes after holding public hearings across the state, including a previous one in Jacksonville last April.
At this point in the process, 37 proposals on a wide range of topics remain up for discussion, meaning any of them could appear on a ballot this November.
The ideas include:
- Removing a state prohibition on spending tax dollars to aid churches;
- Opening primary elections to all voters if the only candidates for an office are of the same political party;
- Prohibiting the use of vaporizers in workplaces;
- Changing the process for approving new amendments. The idea would be to count abstentions as “no” votes.
Read the full list of active proposals here and visit the Constitution Revision Commission's website to read the full text and analyses of each one.
Whatever proposals do make it to ballots will need 60 percent of voters’ approval — that’s 60 percent of voters who actually vote on that item — for them to be added to the Florida Constitution.
Tuesday’s hearing will go from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the UNF Herbert University Center at 12000 Alumni Drive of Kernan Boulevard.
Speakers who submit speaker cards will be given two minutes each, with a limit to speak on a single topic. All comment cards will be submitted to the commission’s 37 members and will be posted online after the hearing.
Contact Jessica Palombo at 904-358-6315, jpalombo@wjct.org or on Twitter at @JessicaPubRadio.
