GOP leaders support plan to rewrite state constitution(FL)

South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | January 13, 2005 | Mark Hollis & Linda Kleindienst

[DBeers]

TALLAHASSEE· A move is under way by conservative Republicans in the Florida Legislature to rewrite the Florida Constitution, setting off fears among skeptics that it will turn into a legislative assault on abortion rights, church-state separations and other controversial topics that have enjoyed protections from political intrusion.

Led by a pair of Central Florida legislators, backers of the rewrite proposal have already won the blessings of several top legislative leaders, including Senate President Tom Lee and Gov. Jeb Bush. Those leaders have been among the fiercest critics of many recent-years' changes to the constitution that mandated reforms that the Legislature had rejected, such as state spending on items like a high-speed rail system and public school class size reduction.

Proponents for this top-to-bottom rewrite argue that the state constitution has become clogged with ideas and initiatives that don't belong and, at best, fit better into state statutes, which are more easily revisable than the constitution.

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"We'll be getting rid of things that ought not be in there, but at the same time, maybe putting in things that belong, a streamlining," said Rep. David Simmons, an Altamonte Springs Republican who heads the House Judiciary Committee.

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While acknowledging that the constitution has become somewhat unwieldy, several Democratic state legislators said they are worried that the Republican-dominated Legislature would take a more ambitious bite at the constitution. They said they fear the undoing of such things as a privacy provision that the courts have used to throw out challenges to Florida's abortion laws.

They also foresee Republicans attempting to undo a provision of the constitution, known as a Blaine amendment, which prohibits the state from funneling taxpayer dollars to religious institutions. That argument is being used to challenge the state's public school voucher law.

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[imskylark]

"Proponents for this top-to-bottom rewrite argue that the state constitution has become clogged with ideas and initiatives that don't belong and, at best, fit better into state statutes, which are more easily revisable than the constitution. "

Like the pregnant sows must not be penned initiative?

[capt. norm]

The Florida State Constitution forbids a state income tax here.

I sure hope they don't want to mess with that!

[woodb01]

Yep, the revolution against the United Nations Socialists that parade as Democrats in this country is going. The United Nazis MUST be stopped.

Amend the Constitution and force a showdown between the state and federal government. Judges are losing credibility so fast that their approval is dropping faster than a rock... It's time to accelerate it. Time for the FLA Constitution to include a provision ELIMINATING Judicial Immunity!

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[balrog666]

It's a stealthly method to implement a statewide income tax. Once they start a constitutional rewrite, they will lose control of the process and completely screw it up.