T
hose following the media’s coverage of the upcoming November election might be forgiven for believing that Florida will only have one proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this year. The media have featured wall-to-wall coverage of Amendment 2, which would legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes in the state of Florida.
It’s not surprising that the media have chosen to focus so heavily on Amendment 2. Medical marijuana is a controversial issue — one that has been debated extensively and fiercely at both the state and federal level.
However, there are two other amendments that Florida’s voters will decide on this year that are arguably more important than the medical marijuana issue.
Amendment 1, the Water and Land Conservation Amendment, is a proposal that would dedicate a permanent source of revenue to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, a public trust that purchases Florida land for parks and other conservation efforts. The funding would come from the documentary stamp tax, a tax primarily assessed on real estate transactions.
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature have decimated spending on environmental conservation in recent years. The fact that Scott has responded to questions about climate change by saying that he is “not a scientist” demonstrates that he does not take environmental issues seriously.
The passage of Amendment 1 would ensure a permanent source of funding for environmental conservation that would not be subject to politically expedient budget cuts.
Amendment 3 relates to the process by which seats on the Florida Supreme Court and the state district appeals courts are filled. Passage of the amendment would allow an outgoing governor to fill any judicial vacancies that are created on the first day of a newly sworn-in governor’s term.
If Amendment 3 passes, it could allow lame-duck governors to fill the courts with appointees of their choosing just before a new governor is set to take office.
This particular amendment may seem somewhat arcane and insubstantial, but it could have significant consequences for the future makeup of the Florida Supreme Court and other lower courts.
Amendments 1 and 3 might not be as sexy and topical as Amendment 2, but they are both just as important to Florida’s future, if not more so.
The League of Women Voters of Florida Education Fund has created a fantastic resource for this year’s election, bereadytovote.org. The website includes a comprehensive, nonpartisan explanation of all the statewide races and constitutional amendments that will be on the Florida ballot this year.
The outcome of the votes on Amendments 1 and 3 will have serious consequences for the future of Florida’s environment and judicial system.
Florida voters must have an opportunity to educate themselves about these important issues and make an informed choice.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 10/8/2014]
