2010 Florida Amendments by Dan Bevarly, Director of Online Strategies

Greetings. As I write this introductory post for the new Florida Amendments web site, three of the nine proposed amendments (nos. 3, 7, and 9) have all been ordered off the ballot by Florida judges. At the same time, the three judges’ rulings are being appealed so as of August 1, these amendments are still on the ballot and on our web site. Each has been and will continue to be updated with information on their status.

That is one of the services provided by the Collins Center for Public Policy to help keep citizens updated and informed around the proposed amendments. As registered voters of this state, it is important to exercise this right on Election Day. And as citizens of this state, it is also important that we be informed about the decisions we make on that day; not only about the individuals we chose, but also for the public policy proposals we support or oppose.

As our president, Rod Petrey states, the goal of the Florida Amendments web site "is to give Floridians useful information they can trust in the most accessible format possible.”  And how do we accomplish that goal? First of all, we offer objective, non-political and non-partisan information that has been researched and fact-checked. Then we build that content into an interactive, electronic environment available online to produce FLAmendments.org). Anyone can access it through their computer or cell phone with an Internet connection whether at home, work, or anywhere there is connectivity; even from a library. The site enables Floridians to have an interactive experience while learning about and voicing their opinions and ideas on Florida’s most important public document --its constitution.

The Florida Amendments web site is part of the Collins Center’s online social network and offers:

• Objective analysis of all the current amendments that includes details about the history of the measures, key players, and arguments for and against them.
• News articles and reports to enrich their knowledge and understanding of the measures.
• Moderated forums where visitors are able to share and learn via discussions and engagement with others.
• Multi-media video presentations.
• Surveys.
• Blog posts from Collins staff and invited external contributors.
• Additional information about the Florida Constitution and the amendment and voting processes.
• Multi-language content presented in both Spanish and Haitian Creole.

FlAmendments.org was first created for the 2008 elections with grants and support from the Florida Bar Foundation, P.L. Dodge Foundation and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. We want to especially thank the Florida Bar Foundation for its continued support through a grant from that continues to provide an important public service and education tool for understanding the 2010 amendment proposals.