Pubdate: Fri, 07 Nov 2014
Source: Tallahassee Democrat (FL)
Copyright: 2014 Tallahassee Democrat
Contact: http://static.tallahassee.com/contactus-form/
Website: http://www.tallahassee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/444
Author: Candace Swain

WHY DOES AN AMENDMENT HAVE TO GET 60 PERCENT?

Floridian's have spoken, and medical marijuana won with a solid
58-percent victory. The only problem is, Florida is the only state in
the nation to proclaim that a super majority of 60 percent is needed
to pass any constitutional amendment the citizenry proposes. The
politicians who made this law, however, can win elections with margins
of only one vote.

The Republicans did this to the people of their state because they
wanted to protect us from ourselves. It all boiled down to pregnant
pigs and how frivolous the amendment process had become.

Is that really a reason to redefine majority rule in a free society? A
majority by concept and definition is 50 percent plus one vote. For
every bill our state officials vote on, a simple majority will do. I
ask that our newly elected officials extend to the very people who
elected them the same consideration.

Perhaps the next project of the people of Florida, along with
reintroducing the medical marijuana amendment in 2016, should be to
gather signatures for an amendment doing away with this draconian and
un-American precedent set by the Republican Party of Florida. But
remember, we would need 60 percent to win this.

Hmmm =C2=85

CANDACE SWAIN
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MAP posted-by: Matt