Florida 2016 ballot measures

2016 Florida Ballot Measures
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Five ballot measures were certified to appear on the Florida ballot in 2016. One measure was on the ballot during the primary election on August 30, 2016, and was approved. Four of the measures were on the ballot during the general election on November 8, 2016. Three of the measures were approved and one was defeated.

HIGHLIGHTS

Of the five measures certified for the ballot, two addressed solar energy: Amendment 1, which was on the November ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment, and Amendment 4, which was on the August primary ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.

Amendment 2, which was on the November ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment, addressed legalization of medical marijuana.

The other two measures, Amendment 3 and Amendment 5, were on the November ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments and addressed tax exemptions for first responders disabled in the line of duty and senior citizens.

A total of 28 initiatives were filed for potential spots on the 2016 ballot in Florida, though many were withdrawn prior to the filing deadline. The deadline to file petition signatures was February 1, 2016. Supporters needed to submit at least 683,149 valid signatures to put initiated constitutional amendments on the ballot.

The state legislative session ran from January 12 through March 11, 2016, during which time the Florida State Legislature placed three legislatively referred constitutional amendments on the ballot. The Florida Legislature can put a proposed amendment on the ballot upon a 60 percent supermajority vote in both legislative chambers via a joint resolution. Constitutional amendments, be they legislatively referred or initiated, must be approved by at least 60 percent of the electorate.

The Florida Department of State provided a list of measures, which can be viewed here.

Historical context

See also: History of Initiative & Referendum in Florida and List of Florida ballot measures

A total of 79 measures have appeared on Florida ballots between 1996 and 2016.

• An average of seven measures have appeared on the Florida ballot between 1996 and 2016.
• From 1996 to 2016, about 73 percent (58 of 79 measures) were approved by voters. Roughly 27 percent (21 of 79 measures) were defeated.

In 2006, Florida Amendment 3 raised the requirement for approving a constitutional amendment to 60 percent. Between 2008 and 2016, four measures were approved by simple majority, but failed to meet the supermajority requirement and thus were defeated.

On the ballot

August 30:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 4	Energy	Provides property tax exemptions for renewable energy devices	a

November 8:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	Amendment 1	Energy	Equipment that produces solar energy for personal use	d
CICA	Amendment 2	Marijuana	Physician-prescribed marijuana	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Taxes	Property tax exemptions for first responders	a
LRCA	Amendment 5	Taxes	Property tax breaks for senior citizens	a

Cost per required signatures

See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2016 and CPRS analysis

The cost of an initiative or veto referendum petition drive can be measured in two key ways:

1. According to the total cost of gathering the required signatures to put the initiative or veto referendum on the ballot
2. According to the total cost divided by the number of signatures required to qualify the measure for the ballot or Cost Per Required Signature (CPRS).

This data for Florida initiatives and information about what petition drive companies were used are below:

Not on ballot

Legend

= This initiative or referendum failed to reach the ballot and the petition is dead. = This initiative or referendum failed to reach the ballot in 2016, but petitioners could try to qualify the measure for the ballot in the future.

The deadline to submit signatures for initiatives in order to qualify them for the ballot in 2016 was February 1, 2016. Initiative petitions in Florida, however, do not expire, which means petitioners can still submit signatures in an effort to qualify their proposals for the ballot in later years.

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Amendment	Suffrage	Restores the right to vote for people with prior felony convictions upon completion of their sentences, restoration of their civil rights, and removal of their disabilities
CICA	Initiative #15-19	Marijuana	Legalizes marijuana for users at least 21 years of age; regulates marijuana production and sales
CICA	Initiative #14-01	Suffrage	Restores the right to vote for most people with prior felony convictions upon completion of their sentences
CICA	Initiative #14-02	Energy	Permits businesses and individuals to produce up to 2 megawatts of solar power and sell that power to others
CICA	Initiative #15-02	Healthcare	Provides for basic acupuncture coverage for certain illnesses and conditions through insurance
CICA	Initiative #15-03	Healthcare	Requires health insurance to provide coverage for complementary and alternative health treatments
CICA	Initiative #15-09	Min Wage	Increases the hourly minimum wage to $12.50
CICA	Initiative #15-22	Gambling	Gives voters the opportunity to decide on non-tribal gaming in the state
CICA	Initiative #15-20	Marijuana	Allows people 21 years of age or older to use, possess, and cultivate marijuana
CICA	Initiative #15-05	Business regulation	Requires employers to verify that new employees are authorized to work in the United States by using the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system
CICA	Initiative #15-12	Business regulation	Strengthens the power of licenses by making them valid for the lifetime of the person holding the license
CICA	Initiative #15-21	Marijuana	Legalizes medical marijuana for those with debilitating conditions as prescribed by a Florida physician and regulated by the Department of Health
CICA	Initiative #15-10	Labor	Requires employers with at least five employees to provide paid sick time and employers with fewer than five employees to provide unpaid sick time
CICA	Initiative #15-23	Healthcare	Creates the Healthy Florida Plan to expand Medicaid eligibility to low-income residents and establishes a revenue account to accept federal funds
CICA	Initiative #15-15	Marijuana	Legalizes marijuana for anyone at least 21 years of age and uses sales tax revenue to fund teacher salaries
CICA	Initiative #15-18	Elections and campaigns	Allows voters to vote in primary elections—including legislative, congressional, and gubernatorial—and eliminates government-funded party nominations for those offices
CICA	Initiative #15-07	Transportation	Requires voter approval for the creation of tolls and toll increases
CICA	Initiative #15-24	Marijuana	Decriminalizes marijuana and allows people 21 years of age or older to use, possess, sell, and cultivate marijuana without being imprisoned

See also

• 2016 ballot measures
• List of Florida ballot measures
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Florida
• Florida signature requirements

External links

• Proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on November 8, 2016 (Voter Guide)
• Active Initiatives in Florida
• Florida Division of Elections

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