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Florida lawmakers are determined to shut you up - Editorial
https://www.yahoo.com/news/florida-lawmakers-determined-shut-editorial-203000840.htmlSometimes, state lawmakers’ contempt for voters seeps out. Sometimes, it pours.
In Florida, when the Legislature ignores the concerns of voters, the public has recourse, to amend the state’s constitution through a statewide vote.
It’s an expensive, years-long process. To get on the ballot, hundreds of thousands of signatures must be gathered. The Florida Supreme Court has to approve wording. Then, once on the ballot, amendments must win a supermajority of the vote — 60% — to pass.
It’s not hard to unmask a key motivation behind Tallahassee’s distaste for citizen-driven constitutional amendments: The will of the many (us) might override the will of the few (them, the lawmakers).
Florida’s required 60% supermajority is almost insurmountable. But even that may not be good enough for the Florida Legislature.
Rep. Rick Roth, R-West Palm Beach, has again filed a joint resolution (HJR 129) to require 66.7% voter approval of future constitutional amendments. It cleared its first committee on a 12-6 party-line vote (the proposal failed a year ago). The 66.7% threshold would require statewide voter approval in 2024, and putting it on the ballot requires a vote of three-fifths of the membership of the House and Senate.
In Florida, when the Legislature ignores the concerns of voters, the public has recourse, to amend the state’s constitution through a statewide vote.
It’s an expensive, years-long process. To get on the ballot, hundreds of thousands of signatures must be gathered. The Florida Supreme Court has to approve wording. Then, once on the ballot, amendments must win a supermajority of the vote — 60% — to pass.
It’s not hard to unmask a key motivation behind Tallahassee’s distaste for citizen-driven constitutional amendments: The will of the many (us) might override the will of the few (them, the lawmakers).
Florida’s required 60% supermajority is almost insurmountable. But even that may not be good enough for the Florida Legislature.
Rep. Rick Roth, R-West Palm Beach, has again filed a joint resolution (HJR 129) to require 66.7% voter approval of future constitutional amendments. It cleared its first committee on a 12-6 party-line vote (the proposal failed a year ago). The 66.7% threshold would require statewide voter approval in 2024, and putting it on the ballot requires a vote of three-fifths of the membership of the House and Senate.