With the midterm elections coming up soon, we are doing our research and would like the Florida members’ opinion on the amendments being up for vote. So what do you guys think of the amendments? Our concern is the language is sometimes vague and misleading or overly filled with legaleze. Meaning sometimes voting yes is actually voting against the amendment.

Also, if you would like to comment on the candidates and why you are, or are not voting for them, we would appreciate it. We realize that many people consider voting and their opinions of the candidates a personal choice and we agree. However, with the importance of this election cycle I am hoping the members here won’t mind sharing their very personal voting views.

Below are the titles of the amendments. Here is the link I used… Florida Amendments Link The link is from the Miami Herald. The Miami Herald is IMNSHO a left leaning liberal rag. Which is why I didn't use the paper's amendment details.

Amendment 1, Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption

Amendment 2, Limitations on Property Tax Assessments

Amendment 3, Voter Control of Gambling in Florida

Amendment 4, Voting Restoration Amendment

Amendment 5, Super-majority Vote Required to Impose, Authorize, or Raise State Taxes or Fees

*Amendment 6, Rights of Crime Victims; Judges

*Amendment 7, First Responder and Military Member Survivor Benefits; Public Colleges and Universities

There is no Amendment 8 on the ballot. Number 8 is intentionally skipped.

*Amendment 9, Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling; Prohibits Vaping in Enclosed Indoor Workplaces

Amendment 10, State and Local Government Structure and Operation

Amendment 11, Property Rights; Removal of Obsolete Provision; Criminal Statutes

Amendment 12, Lobbying and Abuse of Office by Public Officers

Amendment 13, Ends Dog Racing

*Note: Amendments 6, 7 and 9 are currently being decided in court. Here is the note in the description of these amendments…”A Leon County circuit court judge ruled in early September that this amendment and two others be struck from the ballot because of its bundled status — that decision is currently being appealed by the state.”

Thank you for you opinions and helping us out.

reviewed my ballot...would say this is what i understand for the ones i consider important...

Amendment 1, Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption - voting yes invokes this amendment which increases your exemption (lower taxes)

Amendment 2, Limitations on Property Tax Assessments - voting yes invokes this amendment which limits assessments to exceed 10% (hence external remodeling of your home doesnt get you slammed by the VAB of your county/city)

Amendment 3, Voter Control of Gambling in Florida - voting yes would mean all major changes to florida gambling laws go to the ballot

Amendment 5, Super-majority Vote Required to Impose, Authorize, or Raise State Taxes or Fees
- voting yes invokes the amendment to require a super majority vote to pass any increases or remove any exemptions


the others are relatively simply worded. now depending where you are your ballot can have dozens more referendums, orders, amendments etc. mine happened to be a small book....which took forever to fill out.

as far as candidates...if they have an R. they got my vote, if they didnt. i looked them up and confirmed an R, then gave them my vote. im done for an extremely long time with considering any other option. those old voting machines with the big R and D levers...should come back.

NRA opposes 13 as it has the potential to be used against hunting / hunters.


Amendment 13 to the Florida Constitution is being characterized as an amendment to end wagering (betting) on greyhound races in Florida, but it goes much further than that.

If Amendment 13 is passed, extreme animal rights organizations will have a new constitutional standard to challenge any and all activities they find objectionable. In short, many suspect their first action will be to immediately begin work to ban all hunting and fishing.

Amendment 13 includes the phrase:

“The humane treatment of animals is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida.” That language will not appear on the ballot BUT IT IS IN THE AMENDMENT.

Since reasonable people don’t want animals treated inhumanely, at first blush many Floridians would agree with that statement in general terms. However, there is a vast difference between what the public believes is “inhumane” and what animal rights extremists groups and their supporters would call “inhumane.”

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is the lead organization pushing for Amendment 13’s passage. HSUS opposes hundreds of common and traditional activities involving animals because they claim they are “inhumane.”

In fact, the list of activities HSUS and other animal extremist organizations find objectionable is huge and includes hunting, fishing, farming, animal husbandry, marine parks and more. That’s what this is really about.

Those groups even claim that animals shouldn’t be owned as pets because it’s inhumane.

In short, Amendment 13 is not really about greyhound racing, it’s a front for much more.

Clearly the intent is to establish a legal foothold in the Florida Constitution that they can use to go after legitimate activities, like hunting, that they don’t like.

Whether you are voting Absentee, Early Voting or at the Polls on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, please oppose Amendment 13.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/a...s.com/amp/1493538002

Also check with the news-press. Im not sure of their left/right leaning but they published am informative piece regarding the amendments. After reading their evaluation and doing TOND of my own research, I voted against every one except ammendment 2. Some seemed like a yes vote on the surface, but once I dug through to the "gotchas", I couldnt. Some for no other reason than the rediculous bundling of items. The group that allows this should be hung and beaten with fly swatters. The wire and plastic ones.

quote:

The group that allows this should be hung and beaten with fly swatters. The wire and plastic ones.

Agreed.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Amendment 13 includes the phrase:

“The humane treatment of animals is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida.” That language will not appear on the ballot BUT IT IS IN THE AMENDMENT.

Ask anyone who supports this amendment the following question...

"If dog racing is essentially banned in Florida as a result of this amendment, how many greyhounds will be euthanized (many horribly) as a result?"

If they can't race to subsidize their existence, the owners of these animals will kill them to get out from under their upkeep.

This issue has no business being in the Florida constitution. Its only on the current ballot because of the abject cowardice of those elected losers in Tallahassee. i'll be voting 'NO'.

quote:

Originally posted by Rotndad:
Below are the titles of the amendments. Here is the link I used… Florida Amendments Link The link is from the Miami Herald. The Miami Herald is IMNSHO a left leaning liberal rag. Which is why I didn't use the paper's amendment details.

This link was posted in another thread and I found the information useful.

https://www.jamesmadison.org/w...nt_Guide_v08_web.pdf

Yes on 1. Maybe yes on 2. No on everything else.

2 only applies to non-homesteaded real property. I don't see how artificially capping property values does much. They can just change the millage rate to compensate.

KrisAnne Hall show looks at it from a contituional view.

krissannehall.com.
Look it up, she is based in FL and is very good.

I agree with The League of Women Voters on their opinion that revenue issues should NOT be enshrined in a constitution and I will be voting against nearly all.

Amendment 13 (ban greyhound racing) is pushed by the Creek tribe so they can build poker and parimutuel (horse racing) joints that are independent from greyhound tracks. Poker in Pensacola is permitted at the old, remote, run-down greyhound track the Creeks own, as it has a state parimutuel license. They run borrowed dogs for a two week season to hold the license. With the poker separated from the dogs, poker rooms could move to better located facilities. I play poker and support #13. The others, no.

Vote "No" on all of them. These are not constitutional issues (some even violate the Single Subject Rule" IMO). These are issues for our elected legislators. If their is support, pass a law. That is how our government is supposed to work.

And if you feel its not working that way, elect better legislators.

I'm proposing we create a constitutional amendment that ends the ability of special interests to put up constitutional amendments.

It's turned into a shit show where some wealthy people and special interests are attempting to circumvent the legislature to get things
done, like POT, John Morgan mega personal injury attorney and pot smoker wanted medical MJ so he funded an amendment,

Now we have gaming institutions putting up amendments in order to control the lucrative gaming industry and working with PETA to shut down greyhound tracks, which according to the NRA will give animal rights activists control over the hunting in FL.

"The humane treatment of animals is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida."

"Amendment 13's fundamental value provision is devoid of any legislative or judicial mandate: it bestows no rights, imposes no duties, and does not empower the Legislature to take any action," the Court wrote in a six to one ruling on Sept. 7.

Ban sport fishing! Ban quail hunting! Ban cattle slaughter! This type of deceptive political bullshit is why I don't/won't belong to the NRA.

quote:

Originally posted by cne32507:
"The humane treatment of animals is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida."

This type of deceptive political bullshit is why I don't/won't belong to the NRA.

Really.

You don't trust the NRA, and quote the Tampa Bay Times to support your distrust?

The Tampa Bay Times?

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:

quote:

Originally posted by cne32507:
"The humane treatment of animals is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida."

This type of deceptive political bullshit is why I don't/won't belong to the NRA.

Really.

You don't trust the NRA, and quote the Tampa Bay Times to support your distrust?

The Tampa Bay Times?

Actually, the quote, which you deleted in your reply, was from the Florida Supreme Court ruling Sept. 7 and my post said so. Tampa Bay Times was the first hit to have the quote in an article.

so back to the subject, what about 6- Marsy's Law that strengthens the victims rights, while time incarcerated in CA for inmates of violent crimes has increased, some (defense attorneys and ACLU) feel it usurps some constitutional rights of defendants (remember not every defendant is guilty) and empowers the state

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
so back to the subject, what about 6- Marsy's Law that strengthens the victims rights, while time incarcerated in CA for inmates of violent crimes has increased, some (defense attorneys and ACLU) feel it usurps some constitutional rights of defendants (remember not every defendant is guilty) and empowers the state

The acid test for me on this one is, 'could' this issue have been handled by the legislature? The answer of course is 'yes'. As such, it gets a 'no' vote from me as it has no business being enshrined in the state Constitution.

Thanks for your help and opinions. One of the amendments that I'm having issues with is Amendment 4, the Voting Rights Restoration Amendment. I've been going back and forth in my head about it. There is an ad about this amendment where a young(ish) man is speaking about being popped for a non-violent felony. Since being released he has turned his life around, become a husband and father. He's had a good job and shed the shackles of his past. His wife also speaks in this ad. She basically says he served his time, a long time ago, and he should have his voting rights restored because he has paid the price for youthful indiscretions, etc.

I see both sides, however IMHO losing some of his rights are part of his sentence. Commit the crime and do the time, and all that jazz. I really don't know where I will fall on this and would love to hear your opinions about it.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
NRA opposes 13 as it has the potential to be used against hunting / hunters.


Amendment 13 to the Florida Constitution is being characterized as an amendment to end wagering (betting) on greyhound races in Florida, but it goes much further than that.

If Amendment 13 is passed, extreme animal rights organizations will have a new constitutional standard to challenge any and all activities they find objectionable. In short, many suspect their first action will be to immediately begin work to ban all hunting and fishing.

Amendment 13 includes the phrase:

“The humane treatment of animals is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida.” That language will not appear on the ballot BUT IT IS IN THE AMENDMENT.

Since reasonable people don’t want animals treated inhumanely, at first blush many Floridians would agree with that statement in general terms. However, there is a vast difference between what the public believes is “inhumane” and what animal rights extremists groups and their supporters would call “inhumane.”

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is the lead organization pushing for Amendment 13’s passage. HSUS opposes hundreds of common and traditional activities involving animals because they claim they are “inhumane.”

In fact, the list of activities HSUS and other animal extremist organizations find objectionable is huge and includes hunting, fishing, farming, animal husbandry, marine parks and more. That’s what this is really about.

Those groups even claim that animals shouldn’t be owned as pets because it’s inhumane.

In short, Amendment 13 is not really about greyhound racing, it’s a front for much more.

Clearly the intent is to establish a legal foothold in the Florida Constitution that they can use to go after legitimate activities, like hunting, that they don’t like.

Whether you are voting Absentee, Early Voting or at the Polls on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, please oppose Amendment 13.

Florida veterinarians have come out against 13 as well for the same reasons

No on 4, No on 13