TALLAHASSEE — Backed by Gov. Rick Scott and other Republican leaders, a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it harder for the Legislature to raise taxes and fees appears to have broad voter support, a new poll shows.
Lawmakers last week approved a proposed constitutional amendment that, if passed by voters, would require two-thirds votes by the House and Senate to raise taxes and fees in the future. The proposal will go on the November general-election ballot.
While lawmakers were considering the issue, the Tallahassee-based firm Clearview Research polled voters on a largely identical proposal being considered by the state Constitution Revision Commission. The poll found that 64 percent of likely voters support the proposal, while only 29 percent oppose it.
“This is a clear and easy-to-understand measure that seems to have enough support to pass, and without an organized campaign to defeat it, likely will,” Clearview Research President Steve Vancore said in releasing the poll results Wednesday.
Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, spearheaded efforts to put the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. Under current law, lawmakers can generally raise taxes and fees by majority votes.
After the Senate signed off on the proposed constitutional amendment last week, Scott issued a statement saying he looks “forward to this important amendment being on the ballot to protect families from unfair tax increases.”
But the proposal drew opposition from some lawmakers, such as Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, who said it would “tie the hands” of the Legislature in eventually addressing issues such as sea-level rise and climate change.
“This is designed to make it harder for us to deal with those problems,” Rodriguez said.
The November ballot could include numerous proposed constitutional amendments, including issues placed on the ballot through citizens’ initiatives, the Legislature and the Constitution Revision Commission. Proposed constitutional amendments require approval of 60 percent of voters to pass.
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Poll: Voters Support Making it Harder to Raise Taxes added by Staff on
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Before everyone jumps on this (and I’m not saying this is a bad idea) we need to look at the problems Oklahoma is having with a similar law.
My understanding is that due to a massive down turn in oil tax revenue, the Republicans are trying to raise taxes for schools (that are currently only open 4 days a week due to lack of funding). Democrats (in the minority and only hold 30% of the legislature) are holding things up b/c the tax increases aren’t big enough.
A proposal like this COULD give a bunch of power to the minority party.
Aw mike, you should pick up a science book from time to time.
Certainly – can you please name a few science books that have different versions, names, or climates of the known prehistoric periods and ages, or that left out some paleontological history thus far unknown?
Another brilliant remark from a Miami Democrat (liberal) regarding the hysteric liberal fantasy known as “sea-level rise and climate change”.
I now realize that with all the international and internal forces (obama-era deep-staters and hard-leftist Democrats) trying to take down America at present, “sea-level rise and climate change” are undoubtedly the highest-priority matters we must address. I must run out and buy carbon-credits right now, to pay for the damage my feet are doing to the planet.
If Mr. Rodriguez had done more reading about Earth’s history and less about liberal doctrine, he’d know that the Earth’s sea levels have risen and fallen several times over many eons, and that “climate change” produced alternating millenias-long alternating hot periods and ice ages, all before Man ever lit the first fire. Mr. Rodriguez, please sit down and do some reading before your next uninformed declaration.
I’m doing everything I can to speed up the rising seas – so they’ll put the Miami libs under water.
The deeper, the better.
This needs to extend to the county and city level. Especially on the FEE front.
Exellent!! … I will predict every politician opposing this will have a “D” following their name.