Jacob Ogles
However Florida votes on amendments, a poll suggests most still want changing the state constitution to be hard.
A Florida Chamber of Commerce poll shows bipartisan agreement that its currently too easy to pass amendments.
About 70% of likely voters say the process to get an amendment of the ballot should change. Only 14% say the process works well and needs no adjustment.
“While the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis have enacted measures that have brought transparency to the signature gathering process, given voters more information at the ballot, and protected our state’s foundational document from constitutional clutter, Floridians recognize there’s still more work to be done to improve this process,” said David Hart, Executive Vice President, Florida Chamber.
The Chamber specifically polled support for a specific proposal in the Florida Legislature.
Pollsters described the bills SB 1794 and HB 7037 to voters as efforts to provide greater transparency and allow voters more information about measures before voting.
The poll found 60% of likely voters favor the specific legislation as described, while 21 oppose it.
The support exists across party lines. The strongest showing came from Republicans, where 69% of those polled favor the reform and 14% oppose it. But among independnets, 57% support and 24% oppose the bills.
And even among Democrats, 55% favor the change, while 27% are opposed.
Florida House Democrats have formally opposed the legislation as a caucus.
The Chamber also posed the question of whether the Legislature needs to stop special interests from abusing the amendment process.
There, a resounding 78% of voters said yes, while 15% disagreed.
Questioned in that form, 75% of Democrats, 78% of Republicans and 84% of independents agreed with the need to stop abuse. Just 11% of independents, 14% of Republicans and 18% of Democrats disagreed.
“This robust response makes it clear that voters are ready for the Florida Legislature to act on what they see as an abuse of the constitutional amendment process,” Hart said.
4 comments
Ocean Joe
March 5, 2020 at 3:11 pm
If the legislature was responsive to the majority of Floridians, these ballot measures would rarely be necessary. Instead, members answer to those people and corporations who finance their campaigns. Aside from giving Republican voters what they want on guns and abortion, they are left out as well as Dems and Independents. The business of the legislature is dealing with special interests. Why is Nestle allowed to pump millions of gallons of water for sale from a spring when the state is locked in a losing battle with Georgia over water flow not too far away? Ginnie Springs is near the same latitude, maybe a good hydrologist on Nestle’s staff can explain why pumping so much water from the aquifer is in the best interests of Florida’s public and farmers.
Dan Lanske
March 5, 2020 at 4:22 pm
The legislature is responding. Which is why they keep getting elected. If the people didn’t want the policies that are being passed, then Republicans wouldn’t have controlled the state for over a quarter century.
Justin
March 7, 2020 at 6:39 pm
The people are idiots who vote for the names they most recognize on the ballot. They are as dumb as the citizens of Nazi Germany who voted for Hitler for similar reasons.
Justin
March 7, 2020 at 6:38 pm
The Chamber of CORRUPTION IS A FAR RIGHT LOBBYING GROUP AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF A MAJORITY OF FLORIDA VOTERS.
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