How state panel can correct some of Florida’s voting problem

Even when the Florida ConstitutionRevision Commission doesn’t do anything, the panel makes news.

In this case, unfortunately, it’s the wrong kind of news.

Lastweek, FloridaBulldog reported that the state ofNewYork had banned Armor CorrectionalHealth Services for three years. NewYorkAttorney General Eric Schneiderman had sued Armor, whose clients include Broward and Palm Beach counties, for “placing (jail) inmates’ health in jeopardy.” As part of the October 2016 settlement, Armor paid $350,000—$100,000 in state penalties and $250,000 in reimbursement toNassau County. Armor’s alleged failures on that contract prompted Schneidernan’s lawsuit.

Last December, the Sun Sentinel reported that Armor had “failed to protect some Broward inmates endangered by their mental illness— with deadly consequences.” The company refused to make officials available for interviews. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office defended its vendor, whose contract expires next year.

Yet lastMarch, Gov. Rick Scott putArmor’s founder and president, Jose Armas, M.D., on the constitution revision commission. The commission will propose amendments for the 2018 general election. As noted previously, for nowthe commission is the most important unelected body in Florida.

Whywould the governor appoint Armas? He’s a Scott political patron, and commission seats tend to be like ambassadorships. Pay yourway on. Scott named his ally Carlos Beruff to be commission chairman, even though Beruff during his firefly-quick U.S. Senate campaign last year called President Obama “an animal.”

Somaybe it’s no surprise that the constitution revision commission— to which Scott appointed15 of 37 members— isn’t doing much except generating controversy. Beruff first tried to set rules thatwould have given him near-total control over what amendments the panel approved. After much public criticism, Beruff backed off.

But the commission hasn’t met since June 6, when Beruff’s power grab failed. The commission hasn’t held a public hearing sinceMay17. AJune hearingwas cancelled because too few commissioners planned to showup.

All these developments reinforce the fear the commission isn’t taking itswork seriously. Still, if the commissionwants to make Florida politics better, here are two ideas.

The first is open primaries. Florida partially disenfranchises nearly 30 percent of the state’s electorate. Those voters don’t register as Democrats orRepublicans, and they have been the fastest-growing bloc. They can vote in general elections, but they are excluded fromcontests that determine who gets to the last election. As a result, partisan primaries attract the most extreme voters fromeither side. The lower the turnout, the more partisan the turnout.

Republicans have drawn more recent attention when it comes to closed primaries. Example: U.S. Sen. DeanHeller of Nevada. Democratic groups have targeted Heller in their campaign against theGOP health care bill. Heller is up for reelection next year, and must care about Democrats and independents in a state Hillary Clinton carried.

Heller’s more immediate threat, however, is a primary challenge fromhis own party if he votes against the bill. Agroup linked to PresidentTrumpran ads pressuringHeller until SenateMajority Leader MitchMcConnell, R-Ky., asked the White House to back off.

Democrats, though, can play that game. In 2016, Nova SoutheasternUniversity law professor Timothy Canova failed to defeat U.S. Rep. DebbieWasserman Schultz, DWeston, by running on issues in the Democratic primary. As the Sun Sentinel has reported, Canovawants a rematch next year as a left-wing conspiracy theorist.

If independents could vote in primaries, Democrats andRepublicanswould have to appeal to a broader spectrum of voters. Nearly extinct moderates could come back. So might political compromise— and results.

On a related point, the constitution revision commission could ask voters to close the write-in loophole that also disenfranchises voters. Fittingly, themovewould reinforce an action of the last commission.

That successful 1998 amendment allowed all voters to cast ballots when candidates of only one party had qualified. Democrats andRepublicans, however, began recruiting write-in candidates. The state ruled that write-ins could close the election to voters outside that party.

More voting equals better politics. The ConstitutionRevision Commission still has a chance to make the right kind of news.

EmailRandy Schultz: randy@bocamag.com.