Lobby trying to limit charter changes

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Fri, Jan. 16, 2004

Lobby trying to limit charter changes
One of Florida's top special-interest groups is lobbying to derail other special-interest efforts to amend the state Constitution by citizen initiative.
BY MARC CAPUTO
[email protected]

TALLAHASSEE - With slick red-white-and-blue pamphlets and a populist-sounding website, one of Florida's most powerful pro-business groups unveiled a plan Thursday to attempt to restrict voters' rights to change the state Constitution.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce said it has formed a committee, VoteSmartFlori

da.org, that will encourage the Legislature to call a special election this year to ask Floridians to require any proposed constitutional amendments to be approved by two-thirds of the voters, rather than by a simple majority.
(snip)

They say this is the year to act, because nearly 50 proposed initiatives are vying to make November's ballot.

Among them are proposals to legalize marijuana, lower the voting age to 16, give citizens the right to vote on local growth-plan changes, and punish lawmakers who fail to carry out the intent of voter-approved amendments.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/7720992.htm

[FloridaPat]

1. That's on of Bush's and the Florida republicans idea. It

came out right after the last election because we passed a limit on the number of children a school can have in a class room, and Jebbie was upset because he was against it and the state had other things to pay for than schools. So it looks like they found a sponsor.

They originally wanted an amendment that said the legislature can throw-out any amendment they want if they think it's too expensive.

Looks like the Bush family really don't like Constitutions.