[Nfbf-l] summary of proposed constitutional amendments for Florida
Sherri
flmom2006 at gmail.com
Sat Oct 13 12:02:27 UTC 2012
Hello all,
I am sending the following not for on-list discussion of pros and cons, but
rather, as information only. This will also be placed on the Newsline
Florida Channel.
2012 Florida Amendments
Collins Center for Public Policy Sites site
Skip to content
a.. 2012 Proposed Constitutional Amendments
b.. Florida's Constitution
c.. Resources and References
Proposed Constitutional Amendment: Summary Information
Eleven amendments will appear on the General Election ballot on November 6,
2012. Below is a brief summary of each amendment. For more in-depth
information, select each amendment. For printed copies, select the Download
button that appears on each amendment page.
Click on each link for more information on the proposed amendment.
Amendment 1 : Health Care Services
Title on ballot: Health Care Services
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This would add an amendment to the state constitution that
attempts to prohibit the government from requiring individuals to purchase
health insurance.
If You Vote Yes: A "yes" vote means you want the Florida Constitution to
include a provision that prohibits the government from requiring you to
purchase health insurance.
If You Vote No: A "no" vote means you do not want the Florida Constitution
to include a provision that prohibits the government from requiring you to
purchase health insurance.
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Amendment 2: : Veteran's Property Tax Discount
Title on Ballot: Veterans Disabled Due To Combat Injury; Homestead Property
Tax Discount
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This amendment would allow certain disabled veterans, who
were not Florida residents prior to entering military service, to qualify
for a discount on their property taxes.
If You Vote Yes: A "yes" vote means you want the state to give a property
tax discount to disabled veterans who moved to Florida after entering the
military.
If You Vote No: A "no" vote means you do not want to extend the tax
discount to disabled veterans who moved to Florida after entering the
military.
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Amendment 3: : State Revenue Limitation
Title on Ballot: State Government Revenue Limitation
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This amendment would set a state revenue limit each year
based on a formula that considers population growth and inflation instead of
using the current method of calculating the revenue limit based on personal
income.
If You Vote Yes: A "yes" vote means you want the state to change the way it
calculates its revenue limit.
If You Vote No: A "no" vote means you do not want the state to change the
way it calculates its revenue limit.
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Amendment 4: Property tax limitations; property value decline; reduction
for non-homesteaded assessment increases; delay of scheduled repeal
Title on Ballot: Property Tax Limitations; Property Value Decline; Reduction
For Nonhomestead Assessment Increases; Delay of Scheduled Repeal
Sponsor: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: Reduce the maximum annual increase in taxable value of
non-homestead properties from 10 percent to 5 percent; provide an extra
homestead exemption for first-time home buyers; allow lawmakers to prohibit
assessment increases for properties with decreasing market values.
If you vote yes: A "yes" vote means you favor the enhanced tax breaks being
proposed.
If you vote no: A "no" vote means you are against the enhanced tax breaks
being proposed.
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Amendment 5: State Courts
Title on ballot: State Courts
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This measure would provide for Senate confirmation of
Supreme Court justices; give lawmakers control over changes to the rules
governing the court system; and direct the Judicial Qualifications
Commission, which investigates judicial misconduct complaints, to make its
files available to the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.
IF YOU VOTE YES: A "yes" vote means you want the Senate to have confirmation
power over Supreme Court appointees, and some authority over changes to the
rules that govern the state's courts. You also want to grant the House
access to Judicial Qualifications Commission's investigative files on
judges.
IF YOU VOTE NO: A "no" vote means you do not want these proposed changes
made to the state's judiciary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment 6: Prohibition on Public Funding of Abortions; Construction of
Abortion Rights
Title on Ballot: Prohibition on Public Funding of Abortions; Construction of
Abortion Rights
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This amendment would make the existing federal ban on
public funding for most abortions part of the state constitution. It would
narrow the scope of a state privacy law that is sometimes used in Florida to
challenge abortion laws.
IF YOU VOTE YES: A "yes" vote means you support putting the existing federal
ban on the use of public funds for abortions into the state constitution;
and you support eliminating the state's privacy right with respect to a
woman's right to choose.
IF YOU VOTE NO: A "no" vote means you are against placing the existing
federal ban on using public funds for abortions into the state constitution;
and you are against eliminating the state's privacy right with respect to a
woman's right to choose.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment 7: This proposal was known as Amendment 7 until a legal
challenge by opponents led to the rewriting of some of the ballot language
and its reinstatement on the ballot as Amendment 8. This is the reason there
is no Amendment 7 on the 2012 ballot.
Amendment 8: Religious Freedom
Title on Ballot: Religious Freedom
Sponsor: The Florida Legislature
Note: This proposal was known as Amendment 7 until a legal challenge by
opponents led to the rewriting of some of the ballot language and its
reinstatement on the ballot as Amendment 8. This is the reason there is no
Amendment 7 on the 2012 ballot.
What it would do: This amendment would remove the prohibition in Florida's
Constitution that prevents religious institutions from receiving taxpayer
funding.
If You Vote Yes: A "yes" vote means you want to remove from the Florida
Constitution a prohibition against the state funding religious institutions
and replace it with a provision that prohibits the state from denying
funding to institutions based on religious affiliations.
If You Vote No: A "no" vote means you want to retain the provision in the
Florida Constitution that prohibits the state from funding religious
institutions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment 9: Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouse of
Military Veteran or First Responder
Title on Ballot: Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouse of
Military Veteran or First Responder
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This would grant a full property tax exemption to the
surviving spouses of military veterans who die while on active duty and to
the surviving spouses of first responders who die in the line of duty.
If You Vote Yes: A "yes" vote means you want the state to grant the full
homestead exemption to the surviving spouses.
If You Vote No: A "no" vote means you do not want the state to grant the
full homestead exemption.
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Amendment 10: Tangible Personal Property Tax Exemption
Title on Ballot: Tangible Personal Property Tax Exemption
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This amendment would double the tangible personal property
tax exemption and allow local governments to increase the exemption.
If You Vote Yes: A "yes" vote means you want to double the tangible personal
property tax exemption and allow cities and counties to expand the
exemptions beyond that.
If You Vote No: A "no" vote means you do not want to double the tangible
personal property tax exemption and you do not want to allow cities and
counties to expand the exemptions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment 11: Additional Homestead Exemption; Low-Income Seniors Who
Maintain Long-Term Residency on Property; Equal to Assessed Value
Title on Ballot: Additional Homestead Exemption; Low-Income Seniors Who
Maintain Long-Term Residency on Property; Equal to Assessed Value
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This amendment would give an additional property tax
exemption to low-income seniors who have lived in their home for more than
25 years.
If You Vote Yes: A "yes" vote means you think cities and counties should
have the authority to grant a full property tax discount to eligible
seniors.
If You Vote No: A "no" vote means you do not think that cities and counties
should have the authority to grant a full property tax discount to eligible
seniors.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendment 12: Appointment of Student Body President to Board of Governors
of the State University System
Title on Ballot: Appointment of Student Body President to Board of Governors
of the State University System
Sponsor/Originator: The Florida Legislature
What it would do: This amendment would change the way the state selects the
student representative on the state university system's Board of Governors,
which oversees the university system.
IF YOU VOTE YES: A "yes" vote means you want the state create a new council
of university student presidents from which the student representative to
the Board of Governors will be chosen.
IF YOU VOTE NO: A "no" vote means you want to keep the current system of
selecting the student representative to the Board of Governors.
Sherri Brun
flmom2006 at gmail.com
Character is the side of yourself you choose to show the world.
Integrity is what you do, what you say and how you act when you think no one
is paying attention.
NFBF Newsline® chair
www.nfbnewsline.org
E-mail: newsline at nfbflorida.org
Vice-president National Federation of the Blind of Florida Greater Orlando
Chapter
http://nfbfgoc.org
Chair Orange County Disability Advisory Board
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