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Constitutional amendment - page 3

Tom Lee files constitutional amendment on property taxes

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vacation home

State Sen. Tom Lee has filed a proposed constitutional amendment to keep “dramatic increases in annual property tax assessments” in check on vacation homes and other properties. Lee, a Brandon Republican, filedĀ SJR 76Ā on Monday. ā€œFailure to pass this joint resolution will result in one of the largest tax increases in the history of our state,ā€ Lee said in a statement. ā€œFlorida voters will have the ultimate say on the 2018 ballot, but it is the legislatureā€™s responsibility to act in…

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December hearing set for environmental Amendment 1 lawsuit

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A pivotal hearing in a lawsuitĀ over the state’s environmental funding is coming up in December. Lawyers for the Legislature and environmental advocacy groups are set to argue over a summary judgment motion Dec. 5 before Circuit Judge Charles W. Dodson in Tallahassee. GrantingĀ such motions allows parties to win a case without a trial. Florida Wildlife Federation, Sierra ClubĀ and others had filed suit over the “Water andĀ Land Legacy Amendment,” the constitutional changeĀ approved by voters in 2014Ā that mandates state spending for land…

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Economists wrap up consideration of felons’ voting rights

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A panel of state economists and forecastersĀ spent Wednesday editing their notes on the costs of a constitutional amendment on felons’ voting rights. Amy Baker, who heads the Legislature’sĀ Office of Economic and Demographic Research, noted the amendment’s opponents neverĀ submitted written material or testimony. TheĀ proposed Florida VotingĀ Restoration AmendmentĀ would automatically returnĀ voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences. The Financial Impact Estimating Conference has beenĀ struggling to figure out a price tag for the amendment. Changes to the state constitution first require a…

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Backers release ‘intent’ statement for medical pot amendment

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The team behind this year’s medical marijuana amendment has released an 11-page “intent” memo for voters to “understand the purposes” of the initiative. “Voters should vote for an amendment fully understanding the intent of the drafters,” said the document, obtained by FloridaPolitics.com on Monday. “Fostering voter understanding is the central purpose of this memo, and we do so by expressing the intent of the individuals who drafted the language.” The proposed change, which will be Amendment 2 on the November…

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Nickeled (but not dimed): Minimum wage up 5 cents in Florida

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Florida’s hourly minimum wage is going up, by a nickel. State officials have announced that the wage will rise Jan. 1 in Florida from $8.05 to $8.10 an hour. Florida law requires the state to annually calculate the rate based on increases in the federal Consumer Price Index. Groups representing workers have decried the small wage hike as “trivial.” They say it’s not enough to keep up with the cost of living in Florida’s urban areas. Many Republican leaders, including…

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Some Florida Republicans AWOL on talking about Amendment 2

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Florida Republican leaders have been conspicuously quiet about where they stand on Amendment 2, the ballot initiativeĀ that would legalize medical marijuana. ā€œI think a lot of people are being quiet about it because they assume itā€™s going to pass and they donā€™t want to be on the wrong side,ā€ incoming Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jack LatvalaĀ saidĀ last week about the relativeĀ scarcity of GOPĀ leaders opposed to the measure. After speaking with Latvala, FloridaPolitics.com reached out last week to four leading Republicans in…

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‘Reefer Madness’ returns to Tallahassee

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The forces against this yearā€™s medical marijuana initiative lined up a one-two punch Friday against theĀ proposed state constitutional amendment. Former state Supreme Court Justice Ken Bell provided the legal jab, saying marijuana doesnā€™t belong in the stateā€™s chief governing document. He addressed reporters at a press conference in Tallahassee. ā€œYou create a fundamental right that the Legislature is very constrained in its ability to deal with in terms of any unintended consequences,ā€ said Bell, a conservative who sat on the…

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