1997-98 Constitution Revision Commission: a progress report.

• Author: Douglass, W. Dexter
• Position: Florida

The journey to proposing revisions to Florida's Constitution has been as rewarding as it has been lengthy. The conclusion of the process will come in November, when the citizens of Florida vote either to adopt or reject the nine proposed amendments of the Constitution Revision Commission.

Over the past nine months I have traveled across the state with the 37 members of the Constitution Revision Commission in an effort to ensure that citizens of Florida do, indeed, have a voice in making changes to our state's basic document. Our travels took us more than 2,000 miles for 15 public hearings. We heard more than 100 hours of testimony, from nearly 1,000 speakers.

At the public hearings last summer we considered about 600 proposals. Then the commission diligently studied the issues, wrote them into official proposals, examined them further in committees, voted numerous times on their merits, and finally approved the nine revisions to go on the ballot.

Throughout the process it was important for commission members to realize that this body was formed to serve Florida's citizens. We heard the desires of Florida's people from the outset, and we have jointly come forward with changes to create less, but more accountable and responsive, government.

An accompanying article in this issue provides an overview of the commission's product, and the Bar Journal's October issue has been reserved for a detailed analysis of each of the commission's proposals.

I encourage members of The Florida Bar to familiarize themselves with the revision proposals and to participate in the November election.

Commission Members

The Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Senate, and Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court appointed 36 members of the Constitution Revision Commission. Governor Lawton Chiles appointed 15 members and designated the chair. Speaker Daniel Webster and President Toni Jennings each appointed nine members, and Chief Justice Gerald Kogan appointed three. Attorney General Robert A. Butterworth served by virtue of his office.

Prior to the appointments, several citizens' groups and individuals cautioned the appointing authorities to be sensitive to the needs of all Floridians and to create a commission that was inclusive and representative of the state's diverse population. It became quite clear that the appointments to the commission, which included attorneys, judges, legislators, an architect, members of the business and...