Things are heating up for the upcoming November election as the Constitutional Revision Commission unveils 24 proposals that may be seen on Florida ballots.
The CRC is a rare but powerful, handpicked group that only meets every 20 years. Committee members are selected by Florida's current governor, House, Senate, and the Supreme Court. The committee has the ability to choose, revise and merge what amendments are added to the upcoming state election.
Twenty-four proposals have been condensed into 12 amendments. While some of these will stand alone, about half of the amendments are composed by merging multiple proposals into one amendment.
The largest concern surrounding the amendments is the number of them being proposed on the ballot. Many people fear that adding too many proposals on the November ballot will intimidate voters into not voting for any of them at all.
Critics also argue that condensing many of these amendments will confuse voters, as it would inhibit a clear and concise description of what each amendment is.
The committee has grouped proposals into general categories such as public education, universities, law enforcement, bans, the court system, and eliminating obsolete laws.
According to Tampa Bay Times, some of these proposals include the banning of greyhound dog racing and the use of electronic cigarettes in indoor spaces. Along with a bill that would waive college tuition for families of active military and first responders killed in the line of duty. And an amendment that includes restricting the term limits of school board members to eight years.
The deadline for Constitutional Revision Commission to add these amendments onto the November ballot is May 10. Ballot amendments will need 60 percent of the support of voters in order to become a law.
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