POLK SENATOR ATTEMPTING TO PUSH THROUGH END OF GRASS ROOTS INITIATIVES

As we speak, Florida Senate Majority Whip, J.D. Alexander (R - Winter Haven) is attempting to push through a bill (Senate Bill 1996) which would, if passed, deny many grass roots efforts to put public initatives on the ballot by adding requirments which would make such efforts extremely difficult...to say the least.

Among the ways which would thawart many initative campaigns nearly impossible in this bill are:

--- Make paying anyone --- or being paid --- "directly or indirectly" to collect signatures a second degree felony, according to the number of signatures collected. That includes paying collectors by the hour.

--- Requiring petitions to be submitted to the county Supervisor of Elections office within ten days after they are signed.

Betty Castor's Campaign for Florida's Future is battling this measure, as well as two proposed constitutional amendments which would 1) require a supermajority of 60 percent --- in 60 percent of the state's congressional districts --- to pass future amendments, or 2) limit any future initatives to subjects which supposedly belong in the constitution, with the Supreme Court deciding the matter.

There's no question that these attempts are done in an order to take away the ability of average Floridians to act whenever their elected representatives fail to do so. Many times, the lawmakers in Tallahassee are sucking at the bosom of lobbyists so much that they have no time to listen to working people back in "the hinterlands".

It's time to change that.