Despite calls to treat each idea separately, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission has sent a proposal to voters that would set school board member term limits, require civic education in public schools, and allow for the creation of a state charter school authorizer. Commission member Roberto Martinez, a former State Board of Education chairman and…
In the Florida Legislature, the act of lumping several unrelated ideas together in one bill is called logrolling, and it’s generally frowned upon. In the vicennial Florida Constitution Revision Commission, it’s allowed. And commissioners are taking that liberty on several measures, including three that they’re recommending be combined into one education question (P 6003). The…
It’s beginning to look like a long day at the polls Nov. 6. If the Constitution Revision Commission doesn’t come to its senses, there will be 17 amendments on the ballot, an unenviable record. Some of its members worried aloud the other day about “voter fatigue,” as well they should. When there were merely 11…
The Constitution Revision Commission is just one step away from finalizing the list of proposed constitutional changes that will go on the November ballot. We’ll soon find out how the “shell game” of packaging proposals into bundles that will be voted up or down plays out. There are multiple opportunities for subterfuge at this point in…
We are pleased to announce that we have posted links to the recordings of our two Legislative Session Review Webinars – the first webinar focuses on education appropriations and the second focuses on education legislation. You may access our FSBA 2018 Legislative Session Summary and both of these webinars on the FSB website on our 2018 Legislative…
A committee of the powerful Constitution Revision Commission advanced several constitutional amendments that may appear on voters’ ballots in November, including a proposal that would make Miami-Dade’s sheriff an elected position and an ethics measure that would bar former officials from lobbying for six years. In a three-hour meeting, the commission’s Style and Drafting Committee…
Florida voters would see 24 proposals rolled into 12 amendments on the November ballot under a preliminary proposal unanimously adopted by the Style and Drafting Committee of the powerful Constitution Revision Commission on Wednesday. The proposal was prepared by Commissioner Brecht Heuchan, chair of the committee, which has the power to decide which amendments get…
After a nearly 5-hour hearing, Leon County Judge John Cooper wasted little time Wednesday in throwing out several school districts’ challenge of HB 7069, the controversial 2017 education legislation that created a new class of charter schools, among several other measures. Cooper found the law constitutional. Read More
In a series of floor sessions in March, the full Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) trimmed down its original list of proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution from more than 100 to 24 – 5 of which are of primary interest to school boards. The proposals have now been referred to the CRC Style & Drafting…
When the members of the Constitution Revision Commission were appointed by Florida’s top political leaders, the list was full of prominent school choice advocates. It seemed the CRC was gearing up to amend Florida’s constitution to finally allow for the major expansion of school vouchers the Legislature has long sought. Instead, the 37-member commission dropped its two…