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.
11 Comments
Phil K · October 11, 2024 at 6:31 am
Thanks for these descriptions – very helpful to get this in advance of voting.
Don Curton · October 11, 2024 at 8:11 am
I particularly like when proposed amendments to state and local charters contain the dreaded double negative wording. Wait, does that mean it’s allowing XYZ? Or against XYZ? Or maybe both? You’ll have groups distributing flyers saying all sorts of stuff but when you go read the actual amendment it’s like WTF is this shit? I think 90% of that is intentionally misleading.
oldvet50 · October 11, 2024 at 11:08 am
I’m voting NO on all the amendments since this is not how to handle making new law – statutes work fine for all the the other laws we have.
I do not even understand #2! In my simple mind it states you can hunt and fish, but still have to abide by any rules the FWC may implement. How is that different from the state of things now?
As far as #4 goes, how about another amendment that states no medical procedure or treatment of any kind can be given to a minor without the express permission of a parent (does not have to be both) or legal guardian.
Divemedic · October 13, 2024 at 6:20 am
It changes hunting and fishing from being an individual right to being the primary means of conservation.
oldvet50 · October 13, 2024 at 8:02 am
Sorry, but I still don’t understand. After some research, I found this:
What does voting yes on Amendment 2 mean?
Voting yes on Amendment 2 would enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the state constitution, limiting what lawmakers could do in the future to limit the actions. The amendment’s text states that it does not limit the authority granted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee under Section 9 of Article IV of the State Constitution.
What does voting no on Amendment 2 mean?
Voting no on Amendment 2 would not change lawmakers’ ability to place restrictions on hunting and fishing activities.
Section 9 of Article IV of the Florida Constitution states that the legislature must appropriate revenue from license fees for wild and fresh water aquatic life to a commission for the purpose of conservation, protection, and management.
To me, it states explicitly that the lawmakers cannot place restrictions on fishing and hunting, but the FWC still can – it states that in the amendment. It can make licensing fees so high it will effectively ban the activity.
Divemedic · October 13, 2024 at 8:55 am
I think that’s the point- since the Amendment says that it is “a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife” eliminating or restricting it through using FWC’s power would be considered a violation of that.
OldGuy · October 11, 2024 at 1:11 pm
Amendment 3… It IS a great commercial, “Big Weed, Baby”, lol. The only political commercial I don’t mute.
JB · October 11, 2024 at 2:01 pm
Pot must never become legal. Our children must be protected, the societal costs of mental health and proven brain and lung damage are already too great for tobacco. Alcohol use costs society billions IMHO. This its my body and ill do what I choose to it is ok. But it stops being ok when others pay for your stupidity. Health nuts are not funded by society, only the fools who poison themselves. I say go kill yourself with drugs on your own dime. But dont hook my kids on your stupidity and desire to make trillions on dope sales and the medical costs of its use.
Dope is being pushed by Communists and not doctors or those in law enforcement who know the costs. I want an end to US Socialism and all pot sales no matter who is behind it. No sane nations has legalized psychoactive brain damaging drugs for their citizens.
Divemedic · October 13, 2024 at 6:19 am
“But it stops being ok when others pay for your stupidity.”
Couldn’t the same argument be made for things like salt, eating meat, sugary drinks, etc.?
I am always leery of granting the government too much control.
SiG · October 12, 2024 at 7:29 am
FWIW, I’m pretty much “same here” on these. When I first saw #2, I thought do we really need to amend the constitution to protect fishing and hunting? That made me think “useless” like #1. I admit I don’t know what it’s trying to protect against and will try to understand that a bit better.
Side note: sure to do see the efforts of big marijuana and big abortion pushing 3 and 4.
Will · October 12, 2024 at 7:48 pm
Here is a page that offers a balanced view of the amendments. https://jamesmadison.org/wp-content/uploads/2024_Amendment_Sheet-8.5×14-v02-web.pdf
Comments are closed.