Florida League of Women Voters
Background Information
1994 Constitutional Amendments
Amendment 1, Florida Constitution
Start of the regular sessions of the Legislature
Proposing an amendment to the state constitution, effective upon approval, to provide that the annual 60-day regular sessions of the Legislature begin on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of March.
Your choice will be YES to approve this amendment or NO to reject it.
The League reports: "In 1990 the citizens of Florida approved a
Constitutional Amendment proposed by the Legislature which moved the
starting date of the legislative session from April to February. The change
was made to allow state agencies and school boards more time to prepare
their budgets before the budget year begins. "The present proposed
amendment moves the start of the session back one month. Each election
year all of the house seats and one-half of the senate seats are up for
election. House members are required to have their bills in draft form
by the first day of the session. Every other election year there could
be a new governor. By starting in March, the legislators will have more
time to prepare for the sessions and the governor will have more time to
prepare the state budget immediately following elections."
- PRO: A newly-elected governor will have more time to prepare his or her budget. In election years there will be more time to hold committee meetings with new legislators before the start of the session.
- CON: State agencies and local school boards will have less time to
prepare their budgets before the budget year starts.
Look at: Amendment 2 (Limitation on state revenue collections)
Amendment 3 (Limiting marine net fishing)
Amendment 4 (Revenue limits)
Amendment 8 (Limited casinos)
Return to How to Use This Guide or Ballot
Source: Florida League of Women Voters
540 Beverly Court, Tallahassee, FL 32301