On top of selecting a new president, voting on a new U.S. Senator and choosing Florida lawmakers, Floridians will vote on five constitutional amendments later this year.
Getting a constitutional amendment to pass isn’t a walk in the park. Each amendment needs 60 percent of the vote in order to pass, and groups in favor of and against each amendment typically tend to spend millions of dollars in campaigns to push their message.
The more highly publicized amendments will have big bucks pumped into them in an election year where voter participation is likely to be higher than it was two years ago.
Sunshine State News took a closer look at what’s hitting the ballot in November. Amendment 1, which centers on solar energy, was initiated by consultants who rallied Floridians to collect 683,000 signatures to get the amendment on the ballot. The group spearheading the amendment, Consumers for Smart Solar, paid petition signers $4 each to sign the initiative.
Amendment 1 would allow Florida consumers to own or lease solar equipment installed on their property to generate their own electricity.
The amendment would still give state and local governments the ability to ensure consumers who don’t opt to install solar equipment aren’t held responsible to subsidize the cost of backup power and electric grid access for those who do install solar.
Consumers for Smart Solar says the amendment is important because it protects consumers, whether they choose solar energy or not.
Opponents of the measure say, however, that the amendment wouldn’t do much for the consumer since the amendment would simply codify what’s already legal for the consumer to do anyway.
Opponents of the measure also say consumers using their own solar power could be hit by fines from regulators with special fees for access to the solar grid.
Consumers for Smart Solar stepped on the scene to raise money to help expand solar energy in Florida late last year and has already fundraised a hefty chunk of cash in 2016, in part due to being well-connected with its donor base.
The initiative brought in a whopping $8.5 million during the month of April. Some of the group’s largest backers have been statewide power and utility companies like Florida Power & Light Company, Duke Energy, and Tampa Electric Company.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
