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Amendments Off Ballot
09/04/08 - 03:26 PM
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Three proposed amendments won’t be on the November 4th ballot.  That’s because the Florida Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional, saying they were misleading to voters.

“I get disappointed just because so much work went into the process and the voters don’t get to vote,” said State Representative Jimmy Patronis (R).  It was a feeling of wasted effort after proposed amendments 5, 7, and 9 were shot down.

“Some individuals may feel like maybe the Supreme Court’s gone too far,” said Patronis, “that they’re essentially striking down the opportunity for a law to come into existence.”

All three amendments would directly affect public education.  Amendment 5 proposed eliminating the portion of property taxes that funds education and raising sales tax one cent to make up for it.

“When the families look at their monthly bills and then they get an enormous tax bill,” said Patronis, “let’s make it a smaller bill and then put a sales tax in place.”

Amendment 7 and Amendment 9 would have undone court rulings that struck down former Governor Jeb Bush’s voucher program which let students from failing public schools attend private schools.

They also opened doors to aid churches and other religious organizations and required at least 65 percent of school budgets be spent inside the classroom.

The amendments came out of the State Taxation and Budget Reform Committee that meets once every 20 years.  While some legislators say they’re disappointed, educators and their representatives say they’re satisfied.

“I was glad to see it was removed,” said recently-elected Bay District School Board member Ryan Neves,  “I don’t like any kind of legislation that’s going to change the way that the state’s going to fund education but then give no guarantee of where that money’s going to come from.”

Neves hopes to work closely with legislators on school funding issues after he takes his position in November.  Patronis says Floridians haven’t seen the last of the issues.

“I’m sure the legislative process that we get into this Spring will take some of those ideas and try to implement them, he said, There was too much good not to at least bring those items up for debate and try to implement those ideas.”

But, Patronis says through legislation it will be a more difficult path.