Amendments on the Ballot 2024

Obviously, the election in November will have important consequences for our civil rights, for the Separation of Church and State, the functioning of our democratic institutions, and basic personal freedoms. We Freethinkers are most likely already very attuned to the Presidential and Congressional elections. But we Freethinkers should be sure to familiarize ourselves (and our friends, neighbors, and loved ones) with the proposed Constitutional Amendments on the ballot.

This November there will be SIX constitutional amendments to the Florida state constitution to be approved or rejected by the voters. While most people in Florida are aware of the 3rd proposed amendment (to legalize marijuana) and the 4th proposed amendment (to guarantee the right to abortion access), there has been much less public discussion of the other amendments. However, it is worth familiarizing ourselves a bit with the implications of the other amendments, some of which could also have important consequences for Floridians. What follows is a brief intro and discussion of the six proposed amendments.

Amendment Proposal #1
This amendment would make district school board elections partisan again. Florida voters passed an amendment in 1998 to make these elections non-partisan. Critics of the amendment fear that this could inject even more politicization into these races, while supporters, like Governor DeSantis, argue that it would allow for more transparency. One should consider whether this change could further advantage more extreme candidates in school board races. Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning that you can only vote in the primary election of the party you are registered with. If you have no party affiliation, you can’t vote in the primary election. The only exception is when there are only candidates running from one party – then all registered voters can vote in that race. However, let’s say the only candidates in the race are from the Z Party. All it takes is for someone, anyone, to register as a non-party write in candidate, and then only voters registered with the Z Party can vote. Can we imagine how that might happen? And why? The Florida League of Women Voters, Florida NOW, Equality Florida, Common Cause of Florida, among other groups, are urging a “No” vote on this one.


Amendment Proposal #2
This amendment would establish a state constitutional right to hunt and fish. This might seem to be rather innocuous, like, are people not allowed to hunt and fish already? Why bother to have this in the constitution? Some conservationists think there might be something a bit fishy about this, however. If, for example, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would seek to restrict fishing certain types of fish in order to preserve certain stocks (a normal procedure), this could be challenged on the basis of this amendment, since it could be seen as infringing on one’s ‘right to fish.’ The Florida Sierra Club, and Florida NOW, and the National Council of Jewish Women urge a “No” vote on this amendment.

Amendment Proposal #3
This amendment would approve recreational marijuana use in the state. Opponents of the bill, including Governor DeSantis, claim that if passed, the state government would have virtually no control over its use. However, supporters say that if this became part of the constitution, it would still be possible for the legislature to pass some guidelines and limits on marijuana use, for example, it could limit its use in some public spaces. The ACLU, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of Florida, the NAACP State Conference, among other groups, support a “Yes” vote on #3. Fun fact: Even the Florida Young Republicans have endorsed a “Yes” vote on Amendment #3, going against Republican Governor DeSantis and the state party leadership. Could this issue be bringing Americans together?

Amendment Proposal #4
This amendment would guarantee access to abortion services. The Tallahassee Democrat (4/15/2024) explains that if passed, “abortion access would be assured in the state until fetal viability, or how soon a fetus can survive outside of its mother’s womb, generally considered 24 weeks. It would also allow abortions when necessary to protect a patient’s health, as determined by a health care provider.” A “Yes” vote on #4 is supported by the Florida ACLU, Florida NOW, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of Florida, the NAACP State Conference, the League of Women Voters, among other groups.

Amendment Proposal #5
This amendment would establish a Homestead Annual Inflation Adjustment. Supporters of this amendment argue that this would result in more savings for property owners in the state. Opponents ague that this will result in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue for local governments, affecting their ability to provide basic services. The NAACP State Conference and Florida NOW are urging a “No” vote on #5,


Amendment Proposal #6
The adoption of this amendment proposal would repeal Section 7, Article VI from the Florida Constitution, which provides for “public financing for campaigns for state-wide office” to ensure “state-wide elections in which all qualified candidates may compete effectively.” The public financing provision, adopted in 1998, was meant to ensure that independent candidates and candidates from ‘third parties’ would be able to compete in elections for state-wide offices in Florida (governor, lieutenant governor, chief financial officer, attorney general and agricultural commissioner), providing more choices for voters. As things stand now, to qualify for these funds, potential candidates have to raise a certain amount of cash from Florida citizens (that is, show that they’re ‘serious’). Candidates from the two main parties also receive public financing. If this amendment is adopted, public financing for candidates running for these posts would cease. Florida Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, Florida NOW, and the SEIU are among the groups urging a “No” vote on this amendment.

To see the full text of the amendments on the November 2024 ballot, go to:
https://files.floridados.gov/media/708339/eng-2024-regular-layout-constitutional-amend-v20240825-final-for-publication.pdf

It may also be useful to check out this website for more information:
https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_2024_ballot_measures