TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB) – Voters will decide whether taxpayers will continue to fund state government campaigns. Funding from the state budget has been available to people running for governor and three other cabinet positions for decades. Amendment 6 removes that budget line item.
“I think taxpayer money could be put to better use,” Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, said during a January congressional hearing.
Sen. Hutson proposed a bill that would become Amendment 6 on the November ballot. The proposal would repeal a 1998 voter-approved constitutional amendment that allowed candidates running for governor, attorney general, chief financial officer, and agriculture commissioner to receive funding from the state’s general fund. It is.
“This is money that comes out of general revenue, and I think we need to ask voters if they want to use general revenue for something other than advertising for public service across the state,” said Sen. Hutson. Ta.
Florida Politics:
The state announced more than $13 million was spent on campaigning for the 2022 election. Sen. Hutson did not respond to requests for an interview, but told a Senate committee in January that he did not believe taxpayers should pay for political campaigns.
“I think this money could be used for other things that voters want, like education, health care, affordable housing,” said Sen. Hutson.
But critics of the amendment said the current version would allow more people to run.
“For candidates with less access to wealth, this provides a way to determine if we can open up this opportunity for new candidates to run,” said Common Cause Florida Executive Director Amy Keith. “I will.”
Keith wants to keep campaign finance laws in place. Candidates must meet certain conditions, such as contribution limits and spending limits, in order to access the funds. Keith said these conditions will help encourage more donations from average Floridians.
“This increases the influence of everyday voters on campaigns and our politics more broadly,” Keith said.
He said voters seemed to like the program, which has helped candidates of both parties, and was surprised they had a chance to repeal the campaign finance reform bill.
“It’s much easier for the Legislature to get an amendment on the ballot. I’m surprised by this because the people of Florida certainly weren’t asking for this to be on the ballot,” Keith said.
Congress tried to repeal it. A similar proposal failed to meet the 60 percent standard required in 2010.
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