Bethany's Picks
Publisher's Note: Bethany Bowra has made her selections in the different races and Amendments in Florida, and this is her list. We don't necessarily agree or disagree with them, but we are very pleased to see her take the time to put this together. Great job Bethany.
Florida Senate: Connie Mack IV
FL-District 18: Allen West
FL-District 22: Adam Hasner
FL-District 6: Ron DeSantis
Click 'continue reading' for Amendment choices:
*Amendment One: Yes. This amendment deals with healthcare and the attempted-takeover of the system by ObamaCare. Amendment One would prohibit laws that require people to purchase healthcare or face a penalty if they fail to do so.
*Amendment Two: I'm not saying yes or no on this amendment. Florida currently has a law that gives discounts to combat-disabled veterans who lived in Florida when they began their service; this amendment would extend that discount to all combat-disabled veterans, not only those who lived in Florida at the time of their service. While I believe that our veterans, especially those disabled in combat, should be fully taken care of and have no expenses after returning home from service, I think this is something the federal government should be reimbursing our veterans to take care of, not something that states should handle alone. This would result in a decrease in property taxes, meaning less funding for schools, which in turn could mean higher taxes for middle-income families. While I wholeheartedly agree with the idea behind this amendment, I feel the federal government should be providing our veterans with their needs once they return home from service.
*Amendment Three: Yes. Amendment Three replaces the existing revenue limit; once the revenue limit for the state's fiscal year has been reached, the remaining funds are placed into the state's "rainy day fund" until the amount poured into that fund reaches 10% of the prior year's total budget. At that point, legislators would vote to either provide tax relief or reduce property taxes.
*Amendment Four: You can read about Amendment Four for yourself here!
*Amendment Five: No. This amendment gives additional power to the legislative branch of the state government over the judicial branch, resulting in a somewhat unbalanced system of checks and balances. We don't need to give any branch the opportunity to intimidate or overpower another.
*Amendment Six: YES. This amendment prohibits state (taxpayer) funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, and when the mother's life is in danger. It also denies public funding for health-benefits coverage that includes funding for abortions, as well as guaranteeing that the state constitution cannot be interpreted to create broader rights to abortions than those in the U.S. Constitution. Passing this amendment is crucial for pro-life Floridians.
*Amendment Eight: No. This amendment would lift the current ban on using taxpayer money for religious funding, including schools and other areas. I say no to this amendment for a number of reasons: First, I don't believe the government should have any hand in religious schools' operations; second, this would open the door for extremist schools and other undesirable education centers to open or relocate in Florida and be guaranteed state funding for their activities; and third, giving taxpayer funding to religious institutions would subsequently mean a rise in the amount of taxes collected for that funding.
*Amendment Nine: See Amendment Two.
*Amendment Ten: This amendment could go either way, but I'm going to say yes. This amendment would grant property-tax exemptions to businesses whose property value is more than $25,000 but less than $50,000. While I'm not sure if we need a constitutional amendment to provide this kind of relief for small businesses, I believe that giving people incentives to start their own businesses could prove hugely beneficial to boosting Florida's economy.
*Amendment Eleven: No. This amendment would grant the legislature the right to provide additional tax-exemptions on homes of elderly people who have reached the age of sixty-five, retained permanent residency in their home for at least twenty-five, and have a low household income as defined by general law. The exemption would apply to homes valued at $250,000 or less-- including many homes that would appear to be out of price range for low-income citizens. I feel this amendment would take away necessary funding for education and other state responsibilities and leaves too much room for loopholes and manipulating the system.
*Amendment Twelve: No. A description of this amendment reads as follows: "If enacted this amendment would replace the president of the Florida Student Association with the chair of the council of state university student body presidents as the student member of the Board of Governors of the State University System. The amendment also requires that the Board of Governors create a council of state university student body presidents." I feel this amendment is simply unnecessary; we do not need to increase the size of government any more than is absolutely essential.
*You can read the full text of every amendment here.