Florida is one of the states that permits the state Constitution to be amended through a popular vote. If 60% of those casting ballots vote for it, then it becomes a part of the state constitution. This election, there are six proposed Amendments on the ballot. I am researching this myself, and you benefit from my research. Let’s begin:
Amendment 1
Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to require members of a district school board to be elected in a partisan election rather than a nonpartisan election and to specify that the amendment only applies to elections held on or after the November 2026 general election. However, partisan primary elections may occur before the 2026 general election for purposes of nominating political party candidates to that office for placement on the 2026 general election ballot.
Amendment 1 Ballot Language
The current law is that all school board candidates must run as “no party affiliation.” A vote of yes means that the people running for the school board will run as members of their political party. I am of two minds on this one. One the one hand, it will be useful to know if a tranny supporting Democrat is on the ballot, but on the other, there are so many RINOs that it likely won’t matter.
My take? This is a useless amendment. If I can’t see a clear benefit to an amendment, I am voting no.
Amendment 2
Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to preserve forever fishing and hunting, including by the use of traditional methods, as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife. Specifies that the amendment does not limit the authority granted to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Section 9 of Article IV of the State Constitution.
Amendment 2 Ballot Language
Not only is the ballot language clear, the enabling legalese behind it is as well. I am voting yes on this one.
Amendment 3
Allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise; allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories.
Amendment 3 Ballot Language
This one is a bit tricky. Normally, I will get behind anything that reduces government power. However, this isn’t the case here. Here is the proposed text that it would add to the state law:
(4) The non-medical personal use of marijuana products and marijuana accessories by an adult, as defined below, in compliance with this section is not subject to any criminal or civil liability or sanctions under Florida Law.
(5) Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other entities licensed as provided below, are allowed to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute marijuana products and marijuana accessories to adults for personal use upon the Effective Date provided below. A Medical Marijuana Treatment Center, or other state licensed entity, including its agents and employees, acting in accordance with this section as it relates to acquiring, cultivating, processing, manufacturing, selling, and distributing marijuana products and marijuana accessories to adults for personal use shall not be subject to criminal or civil liability or sanctions under Florida law.(11) “Marijuana accessories” means any equipment, product, or material of any kind that are used for inhaling, ingesting, topically applying, or otherwise introducing marijuana products into the human body for personal use.
(12) “Marijuana products” means marijuana or goods containing marijuana.
(13) “Personal use” means the possession, purchase, or use of marijuana products or marijuana accessories by an adult 21 years of age or older for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise. An adult need not be a qualifying patient in order to purchase marijuana products or marijuana accessories for personal use from a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center. An individual’s possession of marijuana for personal use shall not exceed 3.0 ounces of marijuana except that not more than five grams of marijuana may be in the form of concentrate.The legislature may provide for the licensure of entities that are not Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers to acquire, cultivate, possess, process, transfer, transport, sell, and distribute marijuana products and marijuana accessories for personal use by adults.
Note that it permits recreational marijuana, but only people who are licensed can grow or sell it. No personal growing for personal use. This is designed to permit the marijuana companies to make money, while doing little to nothing to prevent police abuses of power. In my opinion, this amendment is the typical “get out the vote” stuff that the left always puts on the ballot during a presidential election year. This one is designed to get the young potheads out to vote. This one is going to be a no from me.
Amendment 4
No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.
Amendment 4 ballot language
Again, the actual text is pretty vague. Note that the actual text of the Amendment is shorter than its ballot description, and I believe it is intentional to permit a loophole large enough to drive a truck full of purple haired non binary oddballs through:
Limiting government interference with abortion.— Except as provided in Article X, Section 22, no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.
Did you know that mental health, including anxiety, would likely be enough to permit abortions even after viability? That’s how it looks to me as I read this. I don’t like the way that this is written, and while I lean one way, I don’t have strong opinions on abortions. Still, it’s too vague and I hate that. In my opinion, this amendment is another of the typical “get out the vote” stuff that the left always puts on the ballot during a presidential election year. This one is designed to get their base out to vote. This one is going to be a no from me.
The hurricane has slowed my research. I will do the other two proposed amendments later.
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