Teachers union shells out money to fight Amendment 8

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A group linked to the Florida Education Association contributed $1 million in August and September to a campaign to defeat Amendment 8 on the November ballot, campaign-finance records show.

The group, known as the Public Education Defense Fund, sent the money to another group called “Vote No on 8.” While affiliated with the Florida Education Association, the Public Education Defense Fund has received $1.5 million this year from national teachers-union organizations, the records show. Amendment 8 would repeal part of the state constitution that bans public aid to faith-based organizations. The FEA opposes the amendment because it argues the repeal could help lead to taxpayer-funded vouchers to send children to religious schools.

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.