This one is also bundled too much to be visually appealing in a chart, so here it is, broken down:
This amendment would do 4 things (remember, you can’t vote on one measure…it is all or nothing):
- Require the legislature to provide for a Department of Veterans Affairs (nice! who wouldn’t want that)
- Create a state Office of Domestic Security and Counter-Terrorism (hmmm…doesn’t sound bad)
- Require the legislature to convene in January – March every year, instead of Jan – March in even years and March – May in odd years. (wait, that’s a thing?)
- Require these offices in counties: sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, and clerk of the circuit court + require that they all be elected positions (and not appointed). (that is a lot, and who wants to think about it?)
This one is pretty straight forward, but I am always skeptical when something leads with an issue every one would agree on, and end on an issue that is really different from the first issue but also more complicated.
To dig into 1 – 3: An FYI, FL mandates that there is a cap on Government Departments, and we are pretty much at our max. Which ones would we take away to make room? However, this one would be exempt from that cap. And ok, what would this new Department do? Isn’t that more of a Federal Government thing? Don’t most law enforcement agencies already have this in place? (Yes) So do we really want our politicians in charge of it? And 3…who knows how or why that started, but I did hear an aide say they agreed with Jan – March in every year so they could take Spring Break off to hang with their kid. Also heard opposition say it’s just an attempt to make lawmakers campaign sooner.
4: Some people think that all of these should be elected offices- the people who should decide who to represent them. But others say hold up- what makes someone a good politician, doesn’t make them a good sheriff or tax collector. Resumes matter more than running a good campaign for some of these things. But honestly, this whole part would affect two counties and not Sarasota (as of right now), so there’s that.
srqFAQ 