Advances:  Week of September 2, 2018

By News Service of Florida Staff

TALLAHASSEE --- The Florida Constitution Revision Commission is a powerful panel that meets every 20 years and can place proposed constitutional amendments directly on the ballot.

When it finished the latest round of work this spring, the 37-member commission --- mostly appointed by Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislative leaders --- had approved eight proposals to go before voters in November.

But the commission’s proposals have faced a barrage of lawsuits aimed at removing many of the measures from the ballot. The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments about one of the highest-profile issues --- a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at ending greyhound racing at pari-mutuel facilities.

And during the coming week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on two other commission proposals.

One proposal, which would appear on the ballot as Amendment 6, is designed to expand crime victims’ rights. The other, Amendment 8, deals with education issues, including a change that could potentially open the door to more charter schools in the state.

The Supreme Court will listen to arguments about whether the ballot proposals would mislead voters. But while justices typically take months to issue rulings, they likely will have to act fast on the proposed constitutional amendments. Ballots will start going out to voters in September.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

STATE OFFICES CLOSED: State offices will be closed for Labor Day.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

USF TRUSTEES MEET: The University of South Florida Board of Trustees will meet and will take up issues such as President Judy Genshaft’s goals for 2018-2019. (Tuesday, 9:30 a.m., University of South Florida, Marshall Student Center, Tampa.)

FSU TRUSTEES GATHER: The Florida State University Board of Trustees will meet after holding a series of committee meetings. (Tuesday, committees start at 10 a.m., with full board at 1:30 p.m., Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center, 555 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)

VISIT FLORIDA LEADERS HOLD CALL; The Visit Florida Executive Committee will hold a conference call. (Tuesday, 11 a.m. Call-in number: 1-888-354-0094. Code: 699912#.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Polk, Martin and Brevard counties. (Tuesday, noon, Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce and EDC, 340 West Central Ave., Lake Wales. Also, 1:30 p.m., Blake Library, 2351 S.E. Monterey Road, Stuart. Also, 2:30 p.m., Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, 400 South Sykes Creek Parkway, Merritt Island.)

WEAVER APPEARS IN JACKSONVILLE: Jeff Weaver, who managed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, is slated to appear at a Duval County Democratic Party event. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Cuba Libre Ultra Lounge, 2578 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville.)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

FIU TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida International University Board of Trustees will meet after holding a series of committee meetings. Among the issues will be approval of a student housing agreement with University Bridge, LLC. (Wednesday, committees start at 8 a.m., with full board at 2 p.m., Florida International University, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Graham Center, Miami.)

SCHOOL SAFETY PANEL MEETS: The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created after a mass shooting in February in Broward County that killed 17 people, will start a two-day meeting. Among the topics will be findings about the role of school-resource officers and officer staffing ratios. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., BB&T Center, Chairman’s Club, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise.)

FLORIDA POLYTECHNIC TRUSTEES MEET: The Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees will meet after holding a series of committee meetings. (Wednesday, committee start at 8:30 a.m., with full board at 1:30 p.m., Florida Polytechnic University. Full board meets in Admissions Building, 4700 Research Way, Lakeland.)

SPANISH LANGUAGE BALLOTS DEBATED: U.S. District Judge Mark Walker will hold a hearing in a lawsuit filed by several groups seeking to require that Spanish-language ballots and election materials be available in 32 counties for the Nov. 6 general election. The 32 counties are Alachua, Bay, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Hernando, Highlands, Indian River, Jackson, Lake, Leon, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Pasco, Putnam, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Taylor and Wakulla. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., United States Courthouse, 111 North Adams St., Tallahassee.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Flagler, Miami-Dade, Orange, St. Johns, Highlands and Pinellas counties. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., George Wickline Senior Center, 800 South Daytona Ave., Flagler Beach. Also, 9:30 a.m., Stephen P. Clark Government Center, 111 N.W. First St., Miami. Also, 11 a.m., Governor’s Job Fair, 4603 West Colonial Dr., Orlando. Also, 11:30 a.m., Trout Creek Senior Center, 6795 Collier Road, St. Augustine. Also, 2:30 p.m., Lake Placid Memorial Library, 205 West Interlake Blvd., Lake Placid. Also, 3 p.m., VFW Post 4364, 5773 62nd St. North, St. Peterburg.)

UNEMPLOYMENT CASES CONSIDERED: The Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission will meet. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., 101 Rhyne Building, 2740 Centerview Dr., Tallahassee.)

DONALDS DETAILS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS: Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds, who served on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, will discuss proposed constitutional amendments during a meeting of the Republican Women of Southwest Florida Federated. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., ROW Restaurant, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, #110, Naples.)

JUDGE HEARS CHALLENGE TO CRC PROPOSALS: Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers will hear arguments in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent six proposed constitutional amendments from going on the November ballot. Plaintiffs, including former Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead, filed the case Aug. 14 in the Supreme Court, but justices transferred it to the circuit court. The lawsuit challenges six proposals placed on the ballot by the state Constitution Revision Commission and is based on arguments that the commission improperly tied together unrelated issues in single ballot proposals. The case alleges that the proposals violate voters’ First Amendment rights and raises the specter of voters having conflicting views of issues in the same ballot proposal --- for example, on a ballot proposal that combines a ban on offshore oil drilling with a ban on vaping or using electronic cigarettes in workplaces. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Leon County Courthouse, 301 South Monroe St., Tallahassee.)

‘OPERATION CLEANSWEEP” DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will discuss the “Operation Cleansweep” program, which is focused on collection of pesticide and fertilizer containers that can contaminate groundwater. (Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Joseph P. D’Alessandro Building, 2295 Victoria Ave., Fort Myers.)

EDUCATION AMENDMENT DEBATED: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in a fight about whether a proposed education constitutional amendment should go on the November ballot. The proposed amendment, placed on the ballot by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, would impose eight-year term limits on school board members and would require the promotion of “civic literacy” in public schools. But a provision that drew a legal challenge from the League of Women Voters of Florida would allow the state to operate and control public schools “not established by the school board,” wording that opponents said would lead to the expansion of charter schools. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper this month sided with the League of Women Voters, ruling that the proposal should not go before voters because of misleading wording. The state quickly appealed Cooper’s ruling to the 1st District Court of Appeal, which then passed it to the Supreme Court. The arguments will be held in South Florida because justices will be in the region for an educational seminar for judges. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., 4th District Court of Appeal, 110 South Tamarind Ave., West Palm Beach.)

COURT WEIGHS VICTIMS’ RIGHTS MEASURE: The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in a legal battle about a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at expanding the rights of crime victims. Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers rejected the proposed constitutional amendment, which would expand rights for crime victims, raise the retirement age for judges and change the way laws and rules are interpreted in judicial proceedings. Gievers, siding with challengers including the League of Women Voters of Florida, focused on issues involving victims’ rights and said the ballot title and summary --- the wording that voters see when they go to the polls --- would not meet legal requirements to “fully, fairly and accurately” inform voters about the purpose of the proposed amendment. The Florida Constitution Revision Commission this spring placed the amendment on the November ballot. The proposal has become commonly known as “Marsy’s Law,” as its attempts to expand victims’ rights are part of a broader national effort. That effort stems from the 1983 death of a California woman, Marsy Nicholas, who was stalked and killed by an ex-boyfriend. But Gievers ruled, in part, that the ballot title and summary would not adequately explain to voters how the proposed constitutional amendment would affect the rights of people accused of crimes. (Wednesday, 2 p.m., 4th District Court of Appeal, 110 South Tamarind Ave., West Palm Beach.)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

SCHOOL SAFETY PANEL MEETS: The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created after a mass shooting in February in Broward County that killed 17 people, will continue a two-day meeting. Among the topics will be findings about school-site security and school hardening. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., BB&T Center, Chairman’s Club, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise.)

PRIMARY RESULTS CERTIFIED: The Florida Elections Canvassing Commission will meet to certify the results of the Aug. 28 primary elections. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Cabinet meeting room, the Capitol.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in St. Lucie, Lee and Indian River counties. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Port St. Lucie City Hall, Building A, 121 S.W. Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie. Also, 11 a.m., Beach Baptist Church, 130 Connecticut St., Fort Myers. Also, 12:30 p.m., North Indian River County Library, 1001 Sebastian Blvd., Sebastian.)

TRAIL PROJECT AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a meeting to discuss a proposed 27-mile multi-use trail along State Road 40 in Lake County, from Levy Hammock Road to U.S. 17.  (Thursday, 10:30 a.m. Astor Community Association, 24148 Ann St., Astor.)

SUPREME COURT RELEASES OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is expected to release its regular weekly opinions. (11 a.m.)

TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES ON TABLE: The Florida Transportation Commission will take up an oversight report about transportation authorities throughout the state. (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., Burns Building, 605 Suwannee St., Tallahassee.)

BALLOT PROPOSALS DISCUSSED: The Sarasota Tiger Bay Club will host a discussion about proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot. Speakers are expected to include former state Sen. Lisa Carlton, who served on the Constitution Revision Commission. The commission, lawmakers and petition drives have put 13 proposed amendments on the ballot, though several face legal challenges. (Thursday, noon, Michael’s on East, 1212 East Ave. South, Sarasota.)

SANDERS ADVISER SPEAKS TO TIGER BAY: Jeff Weaver, who managed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, will speak to the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club. (Thursday, noon, St. Petersburg Yacht Club, 11 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.)

FINAL DAY FOR DCF SECRETARY: Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll will leave the agency effective Thursday. Carroll announced his resignation Aug. 10. Gov. Rick Scott appointed Rebecca Kapusta to serve as interim secretary after Carroll leaves.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

I-4 PROJECT DISCUSSED: The Florida Transportation Commission will hold a workshop and discuss issues such as a major project to overhaul Interstate 4 in the Orlando area. (Friday, 8 a.m., Burns Building, 605 Suwannee St., Tallahassee.)

ETHICS PANEL MEETS: The Florida Commission on Ethics will meet. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., 1st District Court of Appeal, 2000 Drayton Dr., Tallahassee.)

VETERINARY ISSUES ON TABLE: The Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine will meet in Martin County. (Friday, 9 a.m., Marriott Resort Hutchinson Island, 555 N.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart.)

CLINICAL LABORATORY BOARD MEETS: The Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel will meet in Orange County. (Friday, 9 a.m., Rosen Plaza, 9700 International Dr., Orlando.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Palm Beach County. (Friday, 9:30 a.m., Century Village Clubhouse, 411 Century Blvd., West Palm Beach.)

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS DUE: State candidates and political committees face a Friday deadline for filing reports showing finance activity through Aug. 31.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2018

DIAZ-BALART, DIAZ AT GOP BREAKFAST EVENT: U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and state Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, are expected to take part in a breakfast event hosted by Republican State Committeewoman Liliana Ros. (Saturday, 10 a.m., Hialeah Republican office, 1001 West 49th St., Hialeah.)