TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Ruling Allows Petition Signers To Change Minds

ADVERTISEMENT

By MIKE SALINERO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 28, 2007

A circuit judge has upheld a state law that allows voters to revoke their signatures on petitions for constitutional amendments.

The law, passed by this year, was challenged by supporters of the Florida Hometown Democracy amendment. The amendment would allow voters to decide changes in counties' long-range growth plans. Hometown supporters are trying to collect 611,000 petition signatures before Feb. 1 to get the proposed amendment on the November ballot.

A group called Save Our Constitution has been using the law to try to block the Hometown petition drive. The group, which is bankrolled by the pro-business Associated Industries of Florida, has written and called voters who signed the Hometown Democracy petitions, asking them to revoke their signatures.
Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Francis said in his opinion that Hometown supporters did not succeed in proving the revocation law violates Florida's Constitution. Specifically, he said the revocation law does not place any additional burden on voters who intend to sign the petition.

Francis also rejected the argument that the revocation law treats sponsors of a petition differently than those who oppose it.

Ross Burnaman, co-founder of Hometown Democracy, said the group would appeal the ruling.

The chairman of Save Our Constitution, former state House Speaker John Thrasher, would not divulge how many people have agreed to revoke their signatures.

"We feel very confident we've become an obstacle to them getting the signatures they need," Thrasher said.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT