Constitutional Amendment Support Bill Moves Through Another Committee

Contentious Florida Senate And Gubernatorial Midterm Election Results Remain To Be Definitively Settled As Recount Looms

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A bill that would have Florida voters be asked whether to require a higher threshold to pass future Constitutional amendments has moved through its second House committee.

Palm Beach County Republican Rick Roth is the sponsor of HJR129.

He told members of the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that requiring two-thirds support (66.67%) at the polls, up from 60 percent, would help avoid special interests from taking over the state's Constitution.

"Some people would say we're in a dangerous time in our economic climate and our political climate that we need to step forward and make sure that our Constitution does what it's supposed to do and not be used as a wishlist for the well-heeled."

Opponents both on the committee and speakers during the hearing said the voters would be harmed if the threshold were ever to go to 66.67 percent. Roth says our residents should make the decision.

"We believe that the citizens of the state of Florida want to protect our Constitution, particularly in these crazy times when we're trying to decide whether a man can give birth to a baby or not."

Democrat State Representative Yvonne Hayes Hinson spoke out against the proposal and offered this to Roth.

"You may have missed the Sex Ed and Biology classes." she said with a light chuckle. "Only a woman with a uterus can have a baby."

Rep. Roth's comments eluding to some people claiming that men can give birth came just months after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson could not define what a woman is during her confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate.

The bill has another stop before it could go to the House floor and a companion bill has been filed in the Senate.

If approved, the amendment would go before voters in 2024.


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