Nonpartisan ‘good government’ group urges voters to kill Amendment 6, keep public campaign funding intact

Florida’s Amendment 3 on cannabis and Amendment 4 on abortion have understandably taken up a lot of attention this election cycle. But a state nonpartisan group is highlighting another proposal on the General Election deserving of voters’ attention — and rejection: Amendment 6.

If passed, Amendment 6 would repeal Article VI, Section 7 of the Florida Constitution, which requires the state to have a public financing program for Governor and Cabinet candidates who agree to spending limits.

The program is meant to incentivize old-fashioned campaign fundraising and candidate-voter engagement by providing matching dollars for donations individual Florida residents make of $250 or less. To tap those funds, the candidates must agree to cap their spending, personal campaign loans and contributions from political parties. They must also opt into having a post-election audit of their books.

Amendment 6 — which was placed on the ballot by state lawmakers, not by voters — will kill the long-standing constitutional provision that provides for the program.

“This program helps to limit campaign spending, makes constituents more important to campaigns, and it makes it possible for non-billionaires to run for statewide office,” said Amy Keith, Director of the nonpartisan Common Cause Florida group that formed an effort called Floridians for Open Democracy aimed at defeating Amendment 6.

“We are urging Floridians to Vote No on Amendment 6 because it would give more power to billionaires and dark money special interests in Florida elections.”

Amendment 6 is on the ballot due to legislation (SB 1114, SB 1116) by Palm Coast Republican Sen. Travis Hutson and Miami Lakes Republican Rep. Tom Fabricio that the GOP-dominated Legislature approved last Session. The related measures passed on an almost exclusively partisan line, with only Sarasota Republican Sen. Joe Gruters voting “no.”

Hutson argued as the legislation progressed this year that the matching state funds, which come out of Florida’s general revenue fund, would be better spent on covering state and local costs instead of going into campaign coffers.

Opponents maintain that the program — which 52% of Florida voters agreed to keep in 2010, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Citizen United v. FEC decision opened campaigns up to unprecedented corporate and special interest influence — is a vital tool for candidates who would otherwise have trouble running.

More than $33 million from the general revenue was spent in the past four General Election cycles for the Governor’s race and three Cabinet races, including $13 million for the 2022 Governor’s race, Senate staff determined.

Nikki Fried — the last Democrat to hold statewide elected office — tapped $158,507 in matching funds through the program in her successful 2018 bid for Agriculture Commissioner. Her Republican opponent, Denise Grimsley, took $275,183 in matching funds.

With a more than 1 million voter advantage and a larger collective war chest, backing Amendment 6 is a strategic move for Florida Republicans. It would eliminate a path by which Democrats could level the playing field for vital statewide posts that are now all in GOP hands.

But it would also discourage “good people from running for office if they are not wealthy,” according to Floridians for Open Democracy, whose expressed goal is to support “good government” policies that ensure all residents have equal opportunity.

“Running an effective statewide campaign is incredibly expensive in Florida, (and public) campaign financing helps foster a more diverse candidate pool and enables more regular Floridians to take the leap to run for office,” the group wrote on its No on Amendment 6 website. “Amendment 6 is a continuation of the story of big money special interests consolidating power and it is yet another example of the Florida Legislature’s unpopular mission to reduce everyday Floridians’ influence on our government.”

The General Election is on Nov. 5.