In short, Amendment 1 proposes a citizenship requirement to vote in state elections. However, all voters are already required to be United States citizens. This amendment is unnecessary, solely symbolic, and promotes only confusion and divisiveness. We recommend voting No on Amendment 1.
Amendment 2: Vote Yes
Amendment 2, also known as the Fair Wage Amendment, would gradually raise Florida’s minimum wage from its current $8.56 to $15.00 by 2026, beginning with an increase to $10.00 next September. The most prominent opposition to Florida’s Fair Wage Amendment, comes from the Save Florida Jobs PAC—largely funded by the National Restaurant Association PAC and Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association—which says Amendment 2 would be bad for business, resulting in business closure and job loss. Seems a bit rich coming from at least one of the board members of the National Restaurant Association, McDonald’s, whose CEO reaped more than $18 million last year.
Supporters—like, actual low wage workers, along with Orlando attorney John Morgan’s PAC, Florida for a Fair Wage—say the amendment would uplift thousands of Floridians and their families out of poverty. Over 120 Florida business leaders from a variety of industries have expressed their support for a $15 minimum living wage, including several based in Tampa Bay. According to the Florida Policy Institute, a left-leaning independent public policy research nonprofit, passing Amendment 2 would increase wages for over 2.5 million Florida workers, help close the gender pay gap, and reduce pay inequities experienced by people of color—particularly low-wage Black workers.
If you believe the labor of all Floridian workers should be appropriately valued and compensated, vote YES on Amendment 2.
Amendment 3: Vote No
On its face, this proposed “top-two open primaries” amendment—allowing voters from all party affiliations to vote in primary elections for the state legislature, governor, and Cabinet—seems like a good idea. However, this amendment has been met with opposition from both of the major parties, with arguments that Amendment 3 would place greater emphasis on money in campaigns, suppress Black representation in elected leadership, and pressure candidates to run on more moderate platforms. The amendment would also advance the top two candidates with the most votes to the general election, which could very well lead to two Republicans (or two Democrats) on the ballot. For these reasons, we recommend voting No on Amendment 3.
Amendment 4: Vote No
Amendment 4—sponsored by the nonprofit, Keep Our Constitution Clean—would require that all future amendments to the state constitution be approved by voters in two elections (i.e. dual approval) in order to pass. This amendment would create an additional barrier to the implementation of ballot initiatives by dragging out the approval process and raise the cost of ballot initiatives. We recommend voting No on Amendment 4.
Amendment 5: Vote No
Amendment 5 extends the amount of time Florida homeowners have to transfer their homestead exemption from two years to three years when moving from one homesteaded property to another. If passed, this amendment would reduce local property revenue available for municipalities (e.g. impacting the level of funding for local schools, public services, etc) by $1.8 million for the fiscal year 2021-22, and up to $10.8 million by 2025-26. Supporters of the amendment say it could provide a small relief to homeowners by extending the amount of time they have to claim the tax benefit. Opponents say the tax breaks would disproportionately benefit the well-off and drain money from municipalities. We recommend voting No on Amendment 5.
Amendment 6: Vote No
Amendment 6 is another property tax amendment that would transfer the homestead property tax discounts of deceased combat-disabled Florida veterans to their surviving spouses. Supporters of this amendment say it would help surviving spouses retain their homes. Opponents say this amendment is a nefarious attempt by the Florida legislature to chip away at the tax base of local governments by reducing property tax revenue, under the guise of supporting individuals in a time of grief. Opponents are also critical of adding property tax law to Florida’s constitution. We recommend voting No on Amendment 6.
See all of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 2020 recommendations here.
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This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2020.