Voters restore voting rights to felons, OK greyhound racing ban
About 1.5 million convicted felons will have their voting rights automatically restored after Floridians approved Amendment 4, which advocates say will help the disenfranchised successfully reintegrate into society.
The amendment received support from 64 percent of voters in Tuesday’s election, surpassing the 60-percent threshold required for passage, as did a measure banning greyhound racing, with nearly all precincts reporting statewide. But another that would give property owners an additional homestead exemption fell short and was the lone amendment to go down to defeat.
Amendment 4 will automatically allow people who have served their sentence — with the exception of those convicted of murder and felony sex crimes — to vote.
“That’s what happens when we trasncend partisan lines and bickering, when we transcend racial anxieties and when we come together as God’s children,” said Orlando resident Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which gathered more than 800,000 petitions to get the measure on the ballot.
Not enough voters were enamored with Amendment 1, which would have added an extra $25,000 homestead exemption on houses with taxable values above $100,000. School taxes weren’t part of the deal but officials estimated
property owners would have seen their tax bills drop by about $250 a year. The measure gained 58.1 percent approval.
Local government officials complained that their budgets would take a hit, leaving less money to fund operations such as police and fire protection, but many jurisdictions could recoup the lost revenue by increasing the tax rate.
Voters also decided to ban greyhound racing, approving Amendment 13 with 69 percent approval. Opponents suggested the approved measure may cause dogs to be euthanized but advocates noted that the amendment allows the tracks up to two years to phase out operations. The decision will affect the Sanford Orlando Kennel Club and its 110 employees.
“The historical consequences of this are incredibly significant,” said Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA, one of the lead backers of the ban. “We’re seeing one of the highest approvals of any animal welfare measure in the nation.”
Here’s a rundown of the rest of the amendments, all of which won approval.
Amendment 2: The measure permanently caps property-tax assessment increases to 10 percent annually for non-homestead property such as commercial or rental properties. The amendment prevents an existing cap from expiring in 2019.
Amendment 3: Florida residents favored the “exclusive right” to decide a new casino can be built anywhere in the state through the citizens initiative process that puts amendments on the ballot. The Legislature no longer will have the power to pass laws to expand gambling or put any related amendments on the ballot.
Amendment 5: The Legislature is now required to gain a two-thirds vote of each chamber — for a standalone bill — to impose new taxes or fees or increase existing ones. Previously, taxes and fees could be raised through a simple majority.
Amendment 6: Crime victims gained an increase in rights in court proceedings with passage of the socalled Marsy’s Law amendment. The measure provides protection from the accused, a warning if bail is granted and shields victims’ personal information. Victims also will get input into pre-sentencing investigations and access to sentencing reports. The amendment also raises the mandatory retirement age of judges from 70 to 75. Judges now will be required to decide whether a state agency has interpreted the law correctly before issuing a ruling on a case.
Amendment 7: A public university board of trustees now will require nine votes of its 13 members to to raise any student fees. The State University System’s Board of Governors will need 12 of 17 members to approve a fee to be raised system wide. The amendment also grants death-benefit payments from the state to surviving spouses of military members and first responders killed in the line of duty and a waver of some educational costs at public institutions. Amendment 9: Voters approved the mixed-bag measure banning offshore drilling in Florida territorial waters and forbidding vaping in indoor workplaces.
Amendment 10: Legislative sessions in evennumbered years now must start in January instead of March. The amendment also creates a counter-terrorism office within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and requires the state to establish a Department of Veterans Affairs — which already exists. Another part of the amendment calls for counties to have an elected sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and clerk of court.
Amendment 11: The Legislature can now reduce penalties for crimes committed before the repeal of a criminal law. The amendment also erased wording in the state constitution approving a highspeed rail that Floridians later voted down and a phrase that bans property ownership for non-citizens.
Amendment 12: Elected officials no longer can lobby the bodies they were elected to for six years after leaving office. The ban also applies to former justices and judges from influencing legislative or executive branches of state government. The amendment also banned current elected officials from using their office to receive a “disproportionate benefit” for themselves, their families or businesses.