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Plan to split Supreme Court moves ahead in Florida
April 12, 2011
Florida: Last week, the Judiciary Committee in the Florida House of Representatives approved CS/HJR 7111 in a 12 to 6 vote. The vote was decided along party lines, with Republicans in favor of the measure.[1]
The resolution intends to transform the Florida Supreme Court from a seven member body to a ten member one, split into two different operating courts, one for criminal cases and one for civil.[2]
The goal of the proponents of this statute is to get the measure on ballot in 2012, where only 60% of voters would need to approve it. Critics wonder whether the measure is necessary, especially adding operating costs and three more salaries to the already strapped judiciary budget. While Republican lawmakers contend that the resolution is about increasing accountability, some say that Speaker of the House Dean Cannon has been eager to restructure the court since it struck from the ballot three measures passed by the Republican-dominated legislature last year.[1]
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