Proposed Constitutional Amendments in November 2 Election

Information for the voter on the proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution.

The Florida Tax Watch provides an analysis of some of the proposed amendments.  Their analysis can be found on the internet.  The Collins Center for Public Policy provides a relatively objective analysis of the amendment proposals.

In summary (thanks to Florida Tax Watch),

Amendment 1–

This amendment would end taxpayer financing of statewide campaigns, a system created by the Legislature in 1987 and placed in the constitution by voters in 1998. Candidates would have to raise all campaign funds on their own. Florida is one of ten states that provide public financing for gubernatorial campaigns and one of nine states that provide it for other statewide campaigns

Amendment 2–

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to require the Legislature to provide an additional homestead property tax exemption by law for members of the United States military or military reserves, the United States Coast Guard or its reserves, or the Florida National Guard who receive a homestead exemption and were deployed in the previous year on active duty outside the continental United States, Alaska, or Hawaii in support of military operations designated by the Legislature.

Amendment 4

Establishes that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan, or amend a comprehensive land use plan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to vote of the electors of the local government by referendum, following preparation by the local planning agency, consideration by the governing body and notice.

Amendment 5

Every ten years, the legislature redraws the state’s election districts. Amendment 5 would set standards for drawing legislative districts with the goal of disallowing the creation of districts to favor any candidate or party and ensuring that minorities have equal opportunities in the political process.

Amendment 6

This amendment would do for redrawing congressional districts what Amendment 5 does for crafting legislative districts.

Amendment 8

The Florida Constitution currently limits the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in public school classrooms in the following grade groupings: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 18 students; for grades 4 through 8, 22 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 25 students. Under this amendment, the current limits on the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in public school classrooms would become limits on the average number of students assigned per class to each teacher, by specified grade grouping, in each public school. This amendment also adopts new limits on the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in an individual classroom as follows: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 21 students; for grades 4 through 8, 27 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 30 studentshis amendment specifies that class size limits do not apply to virtual classes, requires the Legislature to provide sufficient funds to maintain the average number of students required by this amendment, and schedules these revisions to take effect upon approval by the electors of this state and to operate retroactively to the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.