Supreme Court moves up oral arguments on constitutional amendments

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

The Florida Supreme Court announced today it’s moved up oral arguments on whether two controversial constitutional amendments should be allowed on the Nov. 4 ballot. Arguments had been set for Sept. 8; they’ll now be heard next Wednesday, Sept. 3.

One of the amendments, ok-ed for the ballot earlier this month by Leon Circuit Judge John Cooper, would essentially get rid of constitutional language cited by the courts to toss out former Gov. Jeb Bush’s vouchers program. The second, which Cooper tossed off the ballot on Aug. 14, would eliminate school property taxes and replace them with unspecified other sources, including a possible sales-tax increase and a services tax.

Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic, is leading the opposition to the Amendment 5 property-tax repealer, and on Tuesday had urged the court to move up the date for arguments to give elections supervisors time to print an accurate ballot for the Nov. 4 elections.

“Today’s decision to move up the date for the hearing on Amendment 5 is in the best interest of Florida voters,” Haridopolos said in a statement issued before the court’s formal announcement it had moved the date. “By waiting until September 8, ballots would have been created with language that may or may not be included, costing the state valuable dollars and creating confusion for the electorate.”