Amendment 5 nixed from ballot

Amendment 5 nixed from ballot

TALLAHASSEE, FL - The Florida Supreme Court has removed three proposed state constitutional amendments dealing with school taxes and vouchers from the November 4 ballot. All were offered by Florida's Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.

The high court made their ruling Wednesday, shortly after oral arguments finalized on the three amendments. Justices took less than four hours after arguments ended to issue a 7-0 ruling that struck the amendment from the ballot. Their decision is final.

Amendment 5 would have traded a huge property tax cut for other tax increases. The justices upheld a lower court's ruling by Circuit Judge John Cooper that its title and ballot summary were misleading.

Amendment 5 would have cut property taxes on average about 25 percent by eliminating a part that goes to school funding. The Legislature would have to replace it -- about $9 to $11 billion a year -- from other sources.

The high court also agreed the tax and budget reform commission exceeded its powers by offering Amendments 7 and 9. They would have allowed the state to expand voucher programs that let students attend private schools at taxpayer expense.