CRC takes up citizen-proposed amendments.

A proposal to fix a loophole in an amendment from the 1997-98 Constitution Revision Commission on primary voting has become the first citizen-initiated amendment approved for further consideration by the current CRC.

The CRC, which met October 2 in Tallahassee, also agreed to take up a citizen-approved technical amendment to remove useless language from the constitution and to extend amendment filing deadlines because of Hurricane Irma's disruption.

The first citizen amendment advanced by the commission was submitted by 15th Circuit State Attorney David Aronberg. It would close a loophole from a balloting amendment approved by voters from the 1997-98 CRC. That amendment provides if the only candidates qualifying for a partisan political post are from one party so that the primary winner will assume the office, then all voters regardless of party affiliation may vote in that primary.

Candidates have avoided that restriction by having write-in candidates file for the office. Aronberg's amendment provides that if all candidates are from one party or the only opposition is from write-in candidates, then all voters may still cast ballots in the primary.

The CRC voted 27-3 to further consider that amendment. (Under CRC rules, 10 members must support a citizen-approved amendment in order for it to be considered further by the appropriate CRC committees.)

The second amendment was technical. It would remove art. X, [section] 19, from the constitution. That mandates creation of a high-speed rail system in Florida and was made meaningless by a later amendment. The CRC voted 30-0 to advance that amendment.

Those actions came after CRC Chair Carlos Beruff asked members if there were any of the 1,400 amendments (only about half have been posted so far on the CRC's website) filed by citizens that they wanted the full commission to consider. Beruff said the CRC will consider other citizen-sponsored amendments at future meetings.

On another matter, CRC member and former state Sen. Chris Smith noted about a dozen citizen-proposed amendments had been filed to restore civil rights, including voting rights, to felons once they had completed their sentences and any probation. He said those have been effectively advanced because he and CRC member and former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner are filing their own proposed amendment on that issue.

The CRC's Rules and Administration Committee had recommended extending the deadline for proposing amendments in the wake of...