Welcome to the The Jax Vote 2018 Voter Guide
The Jax Left Channel on The Left Turn , a Progressive News Network-believes that we can be a force for progressive change in our communities and around the country. Fighting for change is a constant effort that must be supported through positive & dynamic activism by an empowered & educated citizenry.
Duval County Early Voting begins on October 22. Election Day is November 6 .
- Please vote for these great people who will lead us into a better tomorrow.
- Please vote on these Florida Constitutional Amendments that will shape our state’s future, and don’t forget the nonbinding “straw ballot” referendum!
Nothing less than our future is at stake.
We are the 99%! Thanks for your consideration & Thanks for Making The Left Turn!
George
*The Left Turn endorses the following candidates on
The 2018 Duval County General Election Ballot*
United States Senator- Bill Nelson
United States Congressman- Al Lawson Jr.
Governor of Florida- Andrew Gillum
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Florida – Jeremy Ring
Attorney General of Florida- Sean Shaw
Commissioner of Agriculture & Consumer Services- Nikki Fried
Representative, Florida House of Representatives District 15 – Trayce Polson
Senator, Florida Senate – District 4 – Billee Bussard
Soil & Water Conservation District Group 3 – Jennifer Casey
Soil & Water Conservation District Group 5 – James Cook
*The Florida Constitutional Amendments*
Amendment 1 Increases the Homestead Exemption to $75,000 the total amount a homeowner can deduct for a home valued at $125,000 or more (excluding School Taxes).
- Vote No All this would do is give benefit to the wealthy while reducing the tax revenue for local governments , already under pressure to provide more and more public services.
Amendment 2 Makes permanent the 10 % cap on increases in tax value for non-homestead property.
- Vote No Local governments are under pressure to provide more and more public services, this would reduce the tax revenue possible for a growing population.
Amendment 3 Would require a constitutional amendment, through a citizen initiative only, for any new casino gambling in Florida.
- Vote Yes. This puts the decision in the hands of the people and out of the lobbyist influenced Legislative Branch.
Amendment 4 Grants the right to vote to qualified Floridians with felony convictions who’ve completed their full sentence (except for murder and sexual offenses)
- Vote Yes People who have paid their debt to society deserves the right to vote.
Amendment 5 Would require that all increases in taxes or fees, or the creation of any new taxes or fees, must pass both chambers of the Florida Legislature by a 2/3 vote
- Vote No A super-majority would make it almost impossible to make reasonable tax increases over time.
Amendment 6
1 Raises mandatory retirement age of Florida judges, including Supreme Court justices, from 70 to 75. Removes a provision that lets judges complete a term on the bench past retirement age if they were halfway through that term.
2 ” this measure would dramatically expand, and outline in deep detail, those constitutional provisions to include victims’ rights to due process; freedom from intimidation and abuse; protection from the accused; protections for victims if bail is granted; and protections from disclosing victims’ information. The proposal also allows victims to request a broad array of additional rights, such as access to and notification of all proceedings; the ability to speak at proceedings that involve sentencing or pre-trial release; access to prosecutors to discuss various facets of the case; input into pre-sentencing investigations; and access to sentencing reports. Other elements of the victims’ rights portion address restitution and the return of property. The proposal also sets deadlines to complete any state appeals: two years for a non-capital case and five years for a capital case, with limited exceptions. The amendment would require that all of these rights be distributed to victims on some type of card. Finally, the proposed amendment eliminates an existing constitutional provision that victims’ rights “do not interfere with the constitutional rights of the accused.” (source League of Women Voters)
3 Requires “Courts and judges, before deciding on a case, to first decide if a state agency interpreted the law correctly.”
(source League of Women Voters)
- Vote Yes It’s time to grant more rights to victims and to raise the retirement age of Florida Judges and Justices.
Amendment 7 Requires a super-majority of the governing bodies of the state university system (9 of 13 trustees) to impose new fees.
- Vote Yes I remember how aggressive student fee increases with questionable benefit impacted struggling students. This will motivate the university system to be firmly committed to going to the students to ask for more money.
Amendment 8
(withdrawn)
Amendment 9 Ban oil drilling in Florida’s near-shore waters AND ban vaping indoors at Florida workplaces.
- Vote Yes We must not risk the damage of oil drilling around Florida.
Amendment 10
1 Requires all 67 Florida counties to elect their constitutional officers (Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Courts, Property Appraiser – even if their charters allow them not to.
2 Requires the Florida Legislature to begins it’s sessions on the second Tuesday in January during even- numbered years
3 Makes a state Veterans’ Department mandatory . There already is one but it would become mandatory to have. It calls for it to be administered by the Governor and the Cabinet (which it already is).
- Vote No This is an amendment that has no business even being on the ballot. Enough Said.
Amendment 11
1 “Repeal a nearly century-old provision that allows the Legislature to restrict the property rights of non-citizens.
2 Deletes language that requires criminal suspects to be prosecuted under the provisions of the law they’re accused of breaking, even if that law is changed by the Legislature. Keeps language that requires prosecution if the law is repealed.
3 Deletes a section of the Constitution – concerning high-speed transportation – that was repealed by voters in 2004. The language, however, was not removed.”
(source League of Women Voters)
- Vote Yes
Amendment 12
“Would make sweeping changes to the state Constitution’s “ethics in government” provisions, following a failed attempt by the Legislature in 2018 to reform lobbying practices. It’s also one of the most complex questions on the ballot, with a number of different elements for voters to consider.
The proposal that generates the most headlines is a six-year ban preventing legislators and other elected officials from lobbying the Legislature or any other part of state government, which has been widely described as the longest such ban in the nation.
The current ban on lobbying after leaving office is two years, and the prohibition applies to the government body or agency that person belonged to. In other words, under current law a state legislator who leaves office must wait two years before he or she could make money by lobbying the Legislature.
Under this proposal, that senator couldn’t lobby any part of state government until six years after leaving office.
The proposed amendment also expands the range of governments that a sitting legislator may not lobby. The current prohibition applies to state government, but the proposed amendment would add federal and local governments, and the new prohibition would include statewide officeholders, such as Cabinet members.
In addition to those changes, the proposed amendment would add some new provisions, including a six-year lobbying ban for state agency department heads who leave their jobs; a total ban on paid lobbying by local elected officials while they’re in office, along with a six-year ban on lobbying their former governing body after they leave; and a ban on judges lobbying state government for six years after they leave the bench.
The lobbying changes in this amendment would take effect on Dec. 31, 2022.
Includes a new prohibition against officeholders and public employees using their positions to gain a “disproportionate benefit” for themselves or their families. The amendment leave it to the Florida Commission on Ethics to define a “disproportionate benefit” and determine penalties for violators by Oct. 1, 2019, and this part of the amendment would take effect on Dec. 31, 2020.” (source League of Women Voters)
- Vote Yes for Reform.
Amendment 13 Phase out Greyhound Racing, a gambling activity
- Vote Yes-It’s time to let the Greyhounds enjoy the opportunity for a healthy life.
*The Jacksonville Nonbinding Referendum “Straw Ballot” *
The City Council has put on the ballot, a non binding referendum:
“Should the City of Jacksonville City Council call for a non binding referendum to approve the terms and conditions of any City Council action approving the sale of more than 10% of JEA”
- Vote Yes The stakes are high because the JEA brings in so much revenue and if properly managed can be an even bigger asset as a community owned utility. Therefore, the decision should be in the hands of the people.
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