Navigating The Proposed Amendments
There are several new amendments on the ballot for tomorrow’s election. To help you better understand them, Florida Citrus Mutual has condensed the amendment documents into a more easy-to-understand language. This is a brief synopsis of what each amendment is proposing, so you can make a more informed decision.
Amendment #1: State Planning and Budget Process Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to limit the amount of nonrecurring general revenue which may be appropriated for recurring purposes in any fiscal year to three percent of the total general revenue funds estimated to be available, unless otherwise approved by a three-fifths vote of the Legislature; to establish a Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which shall issue long-range financial outlooks; to provide for limited adjustments in the state budget without the concurrence of the full Legislature, as provided by general law; to reduce the number of times trust funds are automatically terminated; to require the preparation and biennial revision of a long-range state planning document; and to establish a Government Efficiency Task Force and specify its duties.
Amendment #3: Requiring Broader Public Support for Constitutional Amendments or Revisions Proposes an amendment to Section 5 of Article XI of the State Constitution to require that any proposed amendment to or revision of the State Constitution, whether proposed by the legislature, by initiative, or by any other method, must be approved by at least 60 percent of the voters of the state voting on the measure, rather than by a simple majority. This proposed amendment would not change the current requirement that a proposed constitutional amendment imposing a new state tax or fee be approved by at least 2/3 of the voters of the state voting in the election in which such an amendment is considered.
Amendment #4: Protect People, Especially Youth, From Addiction, Disease and Other Health Hazards of Using Tobacco. The Legislature shall use some Tobacco Settlement money annually for a comprehensive statewide tobacco education and prevention program using Centers for Disease Control best practices. The law specifies some program components, emphasizing youth, requiring 1/3 of total annual funding for advertising. Annual funding is 15% of 2005 Tobacco Settlement payments to Florida, adjusted annually for inflation. This amendment provides definitions for terms and will be effective immediately.
Amendment #6: Increased Homestead Exemption. Proposing amendment of the State Constitution to increase the maximum additional homestead exemption for low-income seniors* from $25,000 to $50,000 and to schedule the amendment to take effect January 1, 2007.
Amendment #7: Permanently Disabled Veterans’ Discount on Homestead Ad Valorem Tax. Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to provide a discount from amount of ad valorem tax on homestead of a partially or totally permanently disabled veteran who is age 65 or older who was a Florida resident at the time of entering military service, whose disability was combat-related, and who was honorably discharged, to specify percentage of the discount as equal to the percentage of veteran’s permanent service-connected disability; to specify qualification requirements for the discount; to authorize the Legislature to waive the annual application requirement in subsequent years by general law; and to specify that the provision takes effect Dec. 7, 2006, is self-executing, and does not require implementing legislation.
Amendment #8: Eminent Domain. Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to prohibit the transfer of private property taken by eminent domain to a natural person or private entity, providing that the Legislature may by general law passed by a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house of the Legislature permit exceptions allowing the transfer of such private property; and providing that this prohibition on the transfer of private property taken by eminent domain is applicable if the petition of taking that initiated the condemnation proceeding was filed on or after Jan. 2, 2007.
*Amendment #2 was removed from the ballot by the Florida Legislature during the 2006 Session.
*Amendment #5 was ruled unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court and also removed from the ballot.
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