JU prof Stephen Baker to Action News Jax: Approved amendments had sympathetic beneficiaries

The three of 11 proposed Florida Constitution amendments approved Nov. 6 by voters had something in common: “They happen to be the ones that tug most at our heartstrings,” Jacksonville University political science professor Stephen Baker told Action News Jax (WTEV CBS-47 and WAWS FOX-30).

The approved amendments — 2, 9 and 11 — provide property tax relief for disabled veterans, spouses of soldiers killed in action, and low income seniors.

“Generally, the amendments that provide a sympathetic beneficiary are the ones most likely to pass,” Baker in a post-election inteview broadcast Nov. 6.

As for the amendments that did not pass, including laws that would hav eaddressed abortion funding and health care reform, a possible explanation for voters’ rejection is that the verbiage on the ballot was complex and difficult for many voters to comprehend, Baker said.

“Normally, people are reluctant to pass amendments that they don’t understand … These gigantic multi-page amendments that are written in a language that would be difficult to understand are probably not going to serve the public that much,” he said.

Here’s the Action News Jax story.