Interesting facts about the 2012 Florida constitutional amendments
Published On: Oct 06 2012 10:07:13 PM EDT
- Eleven ballot measures will appear on the 2012 ballot in the state of Florida.
- All eleven measures are legislatively-referred constitutional amendment.
- The eleven amendments affect the following areas:
1—Education Amendment 12
2—Health care: Amendments 1 and 6
1—Judicial reform: Amendment 5
1—Religion: Amendments 8
5—Local taxes: Amendments 2, 4, 9, 10 and 11
1—State budget: Amendment 3
- All eleven amendments affecting the Florida Constitution will appear on the November 6, 2012 ballot.
- A legislatively-referred constitutional amendment is a proposed constitutional amendment that appears on a state's ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.
- A legislatively-referred constitutional amendment is a limited form of direct democracy with comparison to the initiated constitutional amendment. With the initiated constitutional amendment, voters can initiate the amendment and approve it, whereas with the legislatively-referred amendment, they can only approve or reject amendments initiated by their state's legislature.
- Florida: Section 1 of Article XI, Florida Constitution says that the Florida State Legislature can put a proposed amendment on the ballot if 60 percent or more of the legislators in each chamber agree to do so in a joint resolution.
- Florida amendments need 60 percent of the vote in order to pass.