Tag Archives: 2018 ballot

What Are the 37 CRC Proposals that Could be on the 2018 Florida Ballot?

Constitution Revision Commission 2018 official website: http://flcrc.gov and official list of the 37 proposals: http://flcrc.gov/PublishedContent/ADMINISTRATIVEPUBLICATIONS/CRCActiveProposalsHearings2018.pdf

 

Below is a list and very scant summary of each of the 37 proposal that made it through the Constitution Revision Commission committee process, and thus it is now possible for any one of these to get on the 2018 Florida ballot.

Presently, continuing almost one year of work, the CRC is holding public hearings and you are invited to attend!  http://flcrc.gov/Meetings/PublicHearing with focus on these 37 issues.

After the hearings the full CRC will decide on the 37…

As there is no easy way on the web site to find the 37 proposals, one can use the following list just to get an idea of the proposal topic. 1.) For complete information go to http://flcrc.gov/Proposals/Commissioner, 2.) then click the link under “Number” on far left side. 3.) Once a new screen comes up, click on “web-page” or “PDF” to read the language of the proposal. It is important to read the entire proposal to understand it in full.

Also, there is the possibility that a proposal that was voted on– and did not pass committee–could be resurrected. These are not on this list.

Thank you for your involvement in the great state of Florida! I hope this list is useful.

Jacqui

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch is a commissioner for the 2018 CRC
http://flcrc.gov/Commissioners/Thurlow-Lippisch

Subject of proposal:

P3 Deleting language on prohibiting land ownership by “aliens” ineligible for citizenship

P4 Deleting language barring funds from public treasury to aid church, sect, or religious denomination…

P6 …judges may not defer to administrative agency’s interpretations of statute, must interpret de novo

P9 Veteran’s Affairs/Executive Branch language

P10 Civics education in public schools

P11 Closing the Write in Candidate loophole that closes Open Primaries as specified already  in Florida constitution

P12 Deleting amendment for high-speed train as it was already repealed by amendment

P13 Requiring every county (charter/non charter) to elect constitutional officers: sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser and supervisor of elections

P20 Repeal of criminal statute shall not affect prosecution for any crime committed before such repeal

P26  Office of Domestic Security and Counter-Terrorism is created within the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement

P29 E-Verify-deals (with immigration/business)

P33 All counties must appoint superintendents rather than vote for them

P34 “Clean-up” provision of Dec. of Rights (language)

P37 Only allows for buildings to be named for individuals after they have left office

P39 Must wait six years after leaving position of elected office in to lobby legislature

P41 Retirement age for judges would go from 70 to 75

P43 Would create an 8 year term limit for school board members

P44 University tuition increases would require “more votes” making it more difficult to increase tuition

P45 “nothing” may limit “other” education services —in addition to free public schools

P47 Certain judgeships would require 10 years of Florida Bar membership

P49 Benefits for surviving family members of first responders killed in duty

P50 A candidates for state legislature must live in district he or she is running for…

P54 Certificate of Need – can no longer limit number to given to an area…(i.e. hospitals/Hospice)

P55 Legislature pays off fees for clerks’ offices —where those fees are not taken by county residents

P65 Vaping added to constitution on “smoking in workplace”

P66 Lt. Gov would have official “duties”

P67 Banning betting on greyhound dog racing…

P71 Nothing may limit the legislature from creating alternative processes to authorize the establishment of charter schools…

P72 2/3 vote required of legislature to raise taxes or fees

P83 Specifies the purposes of the state college system and provides for a governance structure

P88 Bill of rights for nursing home residents

P91 Would ban oil and gas drilling in Florida’s state waters

P93 Would authorize school boards in high performing school districts to become “charter districts”

P94 Would allow funds from Statewide Tobacco Education and Prevention Program to go to cancer research

P96 Marcy’s Law- victims’ rights

P97 Not voting on constitutional amendment would be counted as a “no”- makes threshold to pass constitutional amendments more difficult for public

P103 Specifies dates for legislature to convene for regular session –second Tuesday after the first Monday in January of each even-numbered year

 


	


	


							


	

				

			Let’s Make History! “No Oil and Gas Drilling in Florida’s Territorial Seas”~ Florida ballot 2018
		

			


	

		
This past Wednesday, I presented, P91 or “No Oil and Gas Drilling in Florida’s Territorial Seas” to the Declaration of Rights Committee of the Constitution Revision Commission. This was the second and final committee hearing and it passed! My other four environmental proposals were “killed”…


To be clear, as it is confusing, there are coastal territorial seas and there are offshore federal waters. This proposal would protect our territorial seas, our state waters, the waters under our jurisdiction. These waters have been drilled before and, hands down, if the oil and gas industry can, they will influence our state legislature so that they can drill our coastal waters again. There is no doubt about it. Just study history!


We all know, drilling so close to shore, as is done in other coastal southern states, would be visually, environmentally, and economically destructive to Florida’s unique/peninsular marine, real estate, and tourism resouces.


It is written in Article II of our state constitutional that “we shall protect our natural resources and scenic beauty.” P91 belongs in Florida’s Constitution. It would be an enormous statement on behalf of the people of Florida and would have major policy implications on many levels helping to keep all oil drilling away from our state today and in the future.


P91 is now one of 37 proposals of 103 that made it through the CRC committee process.


Today I am publishing the notes from my presentation that should be interesting and informative to readers.


Thank you for following the CRC process and I will keep you appraised of P91 as the CRC process continues and we move towards what gets on the ballot for 2018.


In the end, we must do something for our environment!


Fondly,


Jacqui




P91, presentation Declaration of Rights 1-31-18


Greetings Chair Carlton and Honorable Commissioners; I am Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch  from the Town of Sewall’s Point in Martin County.


This morning, I am pleased to be presenting P91, also known as, “no oil and gas drilling in Florida’s territorial seas.”


~So you may ask,“ what are Florida’s territorial seas?”


The boundaries of Florida’s territorial seas are based on the foresight of our forefathers who expanded the boundaries of Florida, accepted into Florida’s Constitution in 1868 during the era we rejoined the Union. These boundaries are defined as: three marine leagues, or approximately 9 miles, on to the west coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and extending as far as the shifting Gulf Stream, or three miles east, which ever is further, into the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s east coast.


The US Code defines Florida’s territorial seas as three marine leagues on the west cost, and three miles out on the east coast.


Most of us have forgotten our history, but in 1944 Florida sold “everything hugging the shore out to 10.36 miles, from Apalachicola to Naples,” on the Gulf Coast to Arnold Oil Company. These lands consisted of of 3.6 million acres.


After decades of embittered fighting, unsuccessful exploration, and a movement to end the leases, in 1989 the Florida legislature banned oil and gas drilling in Florida’s territorial waters and stopped collecting lease money from the oil company that had the rights to these leases lands.


The battle ensued over time and party lines, but in 2002 Governor Jeb Busch with the help of his brother, the president of the United States, arranged for the oil company to accept 12.5 million state dollars to “abandon all further claims.” This transaction was finalized by 2005 with great fanfare of the public that was ecstatic to have Florida’s beautiful beaches and important natural resources “off the table.”


And yet by 2006 there were rumblings and by 2009, there was even serious talk of a bill on the floor of the Florida Legislature allowing for drilling within five miles of Florida’s west coast. Once again, tremendous pressure to reopen Florida’s territorial seas!


In 2010 the nightmare of the BP Deepwater Horizon really took this possibility off the table for discussion, but we must not be naive, especially in the current climate, this threat to our shores is still there!


Today, you as Commissions  of the Constitution Revision Commission have a chance to make history by voting “yes” on P91 “no oil and gas drilling in Florida’s territorial seas,” giving the possibility for Floridians to put language into our state constitution in 2018 that would protect Florida. 


Let’s make history.


1868 map


Florida’s territorial seas


Gulf Stream


Links:


P91 CRC http://flcrc.gov/Proposals/Commissioner/2017/0091


Herald Tribune 2009 http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090926/News/605227437


Florida Trend 2009 http://www.floridatrend.com/article/5050/revenue-vs-environment


Earth Justice, David Guest,  2009:https://earthjustice.org/blog/2009-september/oil-drilling-axis-targets-floridas-offshore


Offshore Magazine, Destin Dome: http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/print/volume-57/issue-3/news/exploration/eastern-us-gulf-of-mexico-destin-dome-may-yet-revive-eastern-gulf-of-mexico.html


Blake Plateau, Florida’s east coast is under partial currents of the Gulf Stream: http://edcon-prj.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/G1094_ocean.jpg


USGS Blake Plateau https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0659/report.pdf


CRC Analysis 2 http://flcrc.gov/Proposals/Commissioner/2017/0091/Analyses/2017p0091.pre.dr.PDF


______________________________


The next phase of the CRC is public hearings; there is a hearing in Ft Lauderdale tomorrow. After the public hearings the final proposals will be chosen to go on the 2018 ballot.

http://flcrc.gov/Media/PressReleases/Show/1071


Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch is a member of the 2018 CRC, all comments are public record:  http://flcrc.gov/Commissioners/Thurlow-Lippisch


Florida Channel’s taping of prevention: Thank you to those who spoke in favor of the proposal. https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/1-31-18-constitution-revision-commission-declaration-rights-committee/


Article 11 Sec. 1 of our constitution defines Florida’s boundaries. Our forefathers had foresight in doing this. Our boundaries are much more extensive than other coastal sates. May we have the same foresight in expanding the boundaries to protect or territorial seas.