Jennifer Carroll: Vote 'yes' on Amendment 2 to abolish the CRC

By definition, a constitution is a foundational document that outlines the essential structure or framework of a government, in order for it to conduct its necessary activities in a responsible and effective manner.

Unfortunately, Florida has a Constitution Revision Commission that, instead of focusing on constitutional matters, proposes statutory language that deals with policy issues thereby creating changes normally within the purview of an elected legislative body.

In effect, the normal functions of representative government are being bypassed and statutory policies and appropriations are being proposed by the CRC under the guise of constitutional where these mandates impact the people without their input.

This is a major problem.

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Consequently, our duly elected representatives are losing their ability to effectively govern in the face of immediate needs because resource allocations and policy directives are being mandated in a constitution rather than legislated in statute.  

Herein lies the problem with the CRC. It is not an elected body; therefore, the people have no say so and cannot hold the CRC accountable.

Absent legitimate scrutiny and inquiry provided through a representative legislative process, the CRC will always be subject to and be controlled by the rampant influences of special interest groups.

We are a republic, not a democracy … certainly not a direct democracy.

James Madison pointed out in Federalist Paper No. 10 that the surest way to mitigate the dangerous manipulation of factions, or special interest groups, is not only through open and transparent discussion and debate, but through the legislative process of a representative government itself.

Our natural rights are truly at risk every time we bypass this safeguard of liberty.

There is nothing that can be done to fix or improve the CRC. Because the CRC provides an easy access to change our state constitution, it will always remain a magnet for well-financed special interest groups, mostly from out of state, to bypass the will and voice of the people.

What is most concerning is that special interest groups, funded by millions of dollars, are becoming more and more sophisticated in their approach to mislead voters with confusing ballot summaries and deceptive 30-second sound bites, designed to trick voters into supporting something that may not be in the best interest of Floridians.  

Florida has five established procedures for altering or amending Florida’s constitution. They are the Constitution Revision Commission, the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, Citizen Initiatives, Legislative Resolutions and a Constitutional Convention. And, through it all, our constitution has nearly doubled in size over the past 50 years.

Clearly, we do not need a CRC that meets every 20 years. Florida has enough paths to amend its constitution with the people’s input and transparency and without a politically charged body seeking to grow government even larger.

The recent reckless conduct of the CRC has revealed to us this serious undermining crisis. Voters now have a valuable window of opportunity to address it. The potential consequences of inaction are too great for the future of our state. Vote YES on Amendment 2 to abolish the Constitution Revision Commission.

Jennifer S. Carroll was Florida’s 18th lieutenant governor, former member of the Florida House of Representatives and member of the Save My Constitution coalition, a group of former Florida state legislators dedicated to preserving and protecting Florida’s Constitution. 

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jennifer Carroll: Vote 'yes' on Amendment 2 to abolish the CRC