The LeRoy Collins Institute Board of Directors February 28th meeting urged the Florida legislature to change, but not abolish, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC). [Read more…] about The Leroy Collins Institute supports change, not abolishing, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission
Florida Constitution Revision Commission
CRC Submits Final Report to Florida Secretary of State
Pursuant to Article XI, Section 2 of the Florida Constitution, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) today submitted its final report to the Florida Secretary of State. The final report contains eight CRC revisions that will appear as constitutional amendments on the 2018 General Election ballot for voter consideration.
CRC Chairman Carlos Beruff, said, “A diverse group of Florida leaders have done a tremendous job representing Floridians. After holding more than 15 public hearings, the most in CRC history, and reviewing thousands of public comments, we submitted a compelling set of transformational proposals that have the potential to benefit Floridians for generations to come. The CRC is giving Floridians the opportunity to vote ‘yes’ on several important issues including ethics reform in government, rights for victims of crime, prohibiting oil drilling in state waters, and necessary education reforms. I commend my fellow Commissioners for their service and we thank all Floridians who participated in this historic process.”
A copy of the final report submitted to the Florida Secretary of State is available online at flcrc.gov/Reference. Proposed constitutional revisions on the ballot must secure at least 60 percent voter approval to become law.
CRC Approves Eight Revisions for the 2018 General Election Ballot
Pursuant to Article XI, Section 2 of the Florida Constitution, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) today voted to approve eight revisions to be placed on the 2018 General Election ballot for voter consideration.
CRC Chairman Carlos Beruff, said, “For more than a year, Commissioners have traveled across the state to speak directly with citizens about the changes they want to see in the Florida Constitution. After months of in-depth research and debate, the CRC has narrowed down thousands of comments and ideas into eight final revisions for voter consideration. From protecting our state and territorial waters from oil drilling to strengthening our ethics laws, I commend my fellow Commissioners for their hard work and leadership representing the people of Florida. We are grateful to the thousands of Floridians who participated in this historic process and look forward to letting voters have the final say in November.”
Proposed constitutional revisions on the ballot must secure at least 60 percent voter approval to become law. A formal report will be submitted to the Florida Secretary of State as soon as possible. A list of the final revisions approved by the CRC are provided below; the full text of each revision is available onflcrc.gov:
- P 6001: Rights of Crime Victims; Judges
- P 6002: First Responder and Military Member Survivor Benefits; Public Colleges and Universities
- P 6003: School Board Term Limits and Duties; Public Schools
- P 6004: Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling; Prohibits Vaping in Enclosed Indoor Workplaces
- P 6005: State and Local Government Structure and Operation
- P 6006: Property Rights; Removal of Obsolete Provision; Criminal Statutes
- P 6007: Lobbying and Abuse of Office by Public Officers
- P 6012: Dog Racing
CRC Meeting Schedule Week of April 16-20
MEDIA ADVISORY
The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) noticed the following meeting schedule for the week of April 16-20, 2018. CRC meetings will be held in the Capitol Complex and livestreamed by The Florida Channel on TheFloridaChannel.org.
The full Commission will begin meeting on Monday, April 16 at 10:00 AM in the Senate Chamber. The daily calendar for Monday, April 16 can be found on the CRC Calendars Page at flcrc.gov/Meetings/Calendars. Please note that the full Commission may or may not utilize all of the allocated meeting time for the week of April 16-20:
Monday, April 16
- 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber
Tuesday, April 17
- 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber
Wednesday, April 18
- 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber
Thursday, April 19
- 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber
Friday, April 20
- 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber
Statement from Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates regarding CRC rejection of Proposal 22
Statement from Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates Executive Director, Laura Goodhue on Florida Constitution Revision Commission’s rejection of Proposal 22:
“Today we owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of Floridians who raised their voices and became a critical part of our government of, by and for the people. They sent the message loud and clear that we won’t have privacy protections that guarantee our right to have an abortion taken away in the service of a fringe political agenda.
“In 2012, voters soundly defeated a similar attempt to weaken the privacy clause when they voted down Amendment 6. A recent poll showed that a whopping 74 percent of Floridians would not support stripping away their current privacy protections. And this latest attempt to take away our privacy rights was soundly defeated in the CRC’s Judicial Committee and, as of today, we know it won’t be revived.
“For that, I say thank you to every Floridian who spoke up to protect our privacy rights and the right to have an abortion.”
CRC Meeting Schedule Week of March 19-23
MEDIA ADVISORY
The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) noticed the following meeting schedule for the week of March 19-23, 2018. CRC meetings will be held in the Capitol Complex and livestreamed by The Florida Channel on TheFloridaChannel.org.
Daily calendars are available on the CRC Calendars Page at flcrc.gov/Meetings/Calendars.
Monday, March 19
- Full Commission, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Senate Chamber)
Tuesday, March 20
- Full Commission, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Senate Chamber)
- Style and Drafting Committee, 15 minutes after the completion of full Commission – 6:00 PM (412 Knott Building)
Wednesday, March 21
- Full Commission, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Senate Chamber)
- Style and Drafting Committee, 15 minutes after the completion of full Commission – 6:00 PM (412 Knott Building)
Thursday, March 22
- Full Commission, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Senate Chamber)
- Style and Drafting Committee, 15 minutes after the completion of full Commission – 6:00 PM (412 Knott Building)
Friday, March 23
- Full Commission, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Senate Chamber)
More than 1,200 Floridians Attend CRC Public Hearing in Tampa Bay Area
More than 1,200 Floridians attended a public hearing held by the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) on Tuesday, March 13th at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP). The public hearing marked the sixth and final public hearing held on the CRC’s 2018 “Road to the Ballot” public hearing tour. The CRC has held a total of 15 public hearings since 2017.
At the public hearing, more than 430 individuals requested to speak before the CRC and more than 1,200 attended the public hearing. The public hearing lasted more than 10 hours (1:00-11:30 PM) and all Floridians who attended the public hearing and wanted to speak were given an opportunity to be heard.
To watch the public hearing held in St. Petersburg, visit the Florida Channel’s website which has a page dedicated to all CRC public hearings and meetings. A complete transcript of the public hearing, appearance forms and documents received will be available online at flcrc.gov/Meeting/PublicHearings as soon as possible.
The CRC will begin its floor session in Tallahassee on Monday, March 19th. Visit flcrc.gov/Meetings for additional details on the CRC’s upcoming schedule and to view documents from previous CRC public hearings held in 2018 and 2017.
Former Senate Democratic Leader/CRC Member Chris Smith Files Assault Weapons Ban Amendment
In an effort to give Florida voters a chance to decide for themselves whether civilians should possess weapons of war, former Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith today filed an amendment with the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) which, if the voters agree, would ban assault weapons in The Sunshine State.
“Since the 2016 horrific shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and especially after the Valentine’s Day tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School, Floridians have signaled their support for an assault weapons ban,” said Smith, who is currently a member of the 2017-2018 CRC and may directly submit an amendment proposal. “Since the Legislature did not act, I wanted to give the people the power to decide for themselves.”
The CRC is a 37-member organization established every 20 years, tasked with reviewing the state constitution and recommending any needed changes. Members are appointed by the Governor, Attorney General, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, Senate President and House Speaker.
Under Smith’s proposal the sale or transfer of assault weapons would be prohibited. The legislature may enact legislation within the amendment’s framework to provide exceptions to the prohibition on the transfer of assault weapons legally possessed prior to the effective date of the ban.
In his amendment, an “assault weapon” is defined as a semiautomatic rifle that is able to accept a detachable magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that is capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition, or that has a fixed magazine capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition.
The amendment, which will now undergo vetting by the CRC committee process, must garner 22 votes by the full CRC membership in order to appear on the November 2018 ballot.
If successful, and if 60 percent of Florida’s voters then sign off on the Smith amendment, the assault weapons ban would become part of Florida’s state constitution.
CRC Rules and Administration Committee Meeting
MEDIA ADVISORY
The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) Rules and Administration Committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday, March 13 from 12:00-1:00 PM at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Please note that this meeting is scheduled to take place immediately before the CRC public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 13 from 1:00-7:00 PM at the same location.
WHAT: Public meeting of the CRC Rules and Administration Committee
WHEN: Tuesday, March 13 from 12:00-1:00 PM
WHERE: University of South Florida St. Petersburg, University Student Center, 200 6th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
CRC Ethics and Elections Committee Meeting
MEDIA ADVISORY
The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) Ethics and Elections Committee will hold a meeting on Thursday, March 8 from 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM.
WHAT: Public meeting of the CRC Ethics and Elections Committee
WHEN: Thursday, March 8 from 9:30 AM -2:30 PM
WHERE: 110 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, Florida
