Vote “NO” on Amendment 1

Throughout the next 20 years, the amendment would siphon off approximately $19 billion from dedicated trust funds.

(According to the Department of Revenue)

“Legislating via constitutional amendments doesn’t work in California and it shouldn’t work here!” – SPEAKER WILL WEATHERFORD FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES “Imagine, if every group that wasn’t satisfied with the amount of funding their special program got during the recession decided to do a constitutional amendment and mandate a certain amount of spending, how impossible it would be to balance our state budget?” – DAVID HART EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FLORIDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Florida Chamber has a long-standing position of opposing constitutional amendments that can be addressed by the legislature in statute or in the state budget. Amendment 1 redirects funds currently dedicated to existing trust funds into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to acquire, restore, improve and manage conservation lands including wetlands and forests; fish and wildlife habitat; lands protecting water resources and drinking water sources, including the Everglades, and the water quality of rivers, lakes, and streams; beaches and shores; outdoor recreational lands; working farms and ranches; and historic or geologic sites, by dedicating 33 percent of net revenues from the existing excise tax on documents for 20 years.

The Florida Chamber Opposes Amendment 1 Because It:

• Forces the taxpayers of Florida to arbitrarily give the government control over more land than the state has the ability to manage and protect from invasive species.
• Ties the hands of the Florida Legislature in the event of a future downturn in the economy.
• Encourages other special interests to try to get their funding placed in the Constitution, potentially harming our elected state leaders’ ability to govern in a fiscally responsible way.
• Is not a responsible or effective way of protecting Florida’s environmental resources.