'Smart Solar' ballot measure tops 500K signatures

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Supporters of a proposed solar-energy ballot initiative are moving quickly toward submitting enough petition signatures to reach the 2016 ballot, with their total topping 500,000, according to the state Division of Elections website.

As of Monday evening, the group "Consumers for Smart Solar" had submitted 513,375 valid petition signatures, the most of any proposed ballot initiative for the November 2016 ballot. The next-highest total, 457,644 signatures, had been submitted by the group "People United for Medical Marijuana," which is seeking to pass an initiative to legalize marijuana for a wide range of patients.

Supporters of initiatives need to submit 683,149 signatures by a Feb. 1 deadline to qualify to go before voters. Consumers for Smart Solar, which has received heavy funding from the electric-utility industry, is one of two rival solar-energy ballot proposals.

The group "Floridians for Solar Choice,'' which has proposed the other solar initiative, had submitted 273,280 valid signatures as of Monday evening. Consumers for Smart Solar also needs the Florida Supreme Court to sign off on the wording of its proposal to qualify for the ballot.