ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Voters in Florida have decided the process for amending the state’s constitution shouldn’t change.
With fewer than 60-percent of voters approving of Amendment 4, amendments in Florida will not require a second green light from voters to pass.
If Amendment 4 had reached the 60-percent support threshold in the November election, the Florida Constitution, Article XI, Sections 5 and 7, would have been modified to change how Florida currently amends its constitution. Follow this: Currently, when an amendment gets on the ballot, it only can be approved with 60-percent of voters in support. If it reaches that threshold, it gets added to the Florida Constitution.
The failed Amendment 4 would have essentially forced the process to be repeated each time. Basically, 60-percent of voters would have had to approve of a given amendment in two elections before it could have been added to the constitution.
Keep Our Constitution Clean PC was the group behind the failed effort to pass Amendment 4. Attorney Jason Zimmerman told WFSU the amendment had been meant to limit citizens from being their own legislature by adding amendments to the Florida Constitution.
“If you want to amend the constitution to the state of Florida you have to get it on the ballot first get it passed through the normal process, and then it goes on the ballot again,” said Zimmerman to WFSU. “By doing pass it twice we think we can reduce the amount of you know whimsical constitutional amendments.”
The League of Women Voters of Florida had been against Amendment 4, arguing it would have lessened the power of citizens.
“We think it would be the absolute final nail in the coffin for the citizen initiative petition process in Florida,” Brigham told the Orlando Sentinel.
Going forward, any proposed amendment that goes through the proper process and gets on the ballot will continue to be passed with a single, 60-percent vote from Floridians.
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