Category Archives: Florida

Today is the last day to register to vote in Florida.

You must either mail (with today's postmark) or hand deliver a completed application to any Supervisor of Elections' office in the state, a driver’s license office, a voter registration agency, an armed forces recruitment office, or the Division of Elections.

And if you are a US citizen who is a Florida resident and is not already registered, you must do it today — or miss out on what will undoubtedly be the most important Presidential election since we re-elected the current disaster. And maybe even more than that.

I learned from my service on a committee convened by the Florida Supreme Court that our state courts really do try to think ahead, and are serious, innovative and thoughtful when it comes to planning.

It seems they also do outreach, and they're coming to a meeting room near me — tomorrow. The following just plopped into my mailbox:

Florida Supreme Court Committee to Host Nine Public Meetings on Future of Florida Courts

Think of the changes Florida has undergone in the last two decades – and imagine the changes that will take place in the next two decades.

As Florida changes, so too must Florida courts. Sheer population growth will increase the number of cases coming into the courts. Significant changes in demographic and societal trends will alter the kinds of cases that the courts must resolve. Economic changes will impact the resources available to handle cases. Emerging technologies will change the ways people interact with each other and with the courts.

Florida’s judicial branch is working on a long-range strategic plan so that the courts can respond to new challenges and stand firm as a strong cornerstone of a well-functioning society and a healthy economy. And it wants to hear from people around the state as it develops its plan.

The Supreme Court Task Force on Judicial Branch Planning will hold nine meetings around the state, including in Miami. The Task Force is inviting citizens and local officials to share their thoughts on trends and conditions that they believe will impact the ability of the judicial branch to carry out its mission over the next 20 years. The current strategic plan for the Florida judicial branch, which can be found at www.flcourts.org/gen_public/stratplan/index.shtml, includes the mission and vision of the branch.

A public meeting will be held in the Miami-Dade area:

October 2nd, 2008
4 – 7 p.m.
Miami Dade Public Library
Coral Gables Branch
3443 Segovia Street
305-442-8706

Persons with disabilities or those using a TDD through the Florida Relay Service, 711, or who need an accommodation to participate should contact Kat Simpson at (850) 488-6569 as far in advance as possible, preferably at least five working days before the public hearing:

Individuals and organizations are also invited to submit written comments, which will be accepted through Nov. 1. Comments may be sent to:

Task Force on Judicial Branch Planning
Office of the State Courts Administrator
Strategic Planning
Florida Supreme Court
500 South Duval Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1900

# # #

MISSION: The mission of the judicial branch is to protect rights and liberties, uphold and interpret the law, and provide for the peaceful resolution of disputes.

VISION: Justice in Florida will be accessible, fair, effective, responsive and accountable.

For more information contact:
Steve Henley
Senior Court Operations Consultant
Office of the State Courts Administrator
850-488-6569 or henleys@flcourts.org

Could be interesting. Or, judging from some of the slides from a previous meeting, could be a bit odd.

(Other meetings around the state, mostly in the next few days, listed here.)

Oct 6 is the deadline to register to vote in Florida if you want to vote in the November election.

If you are a student and plan to vote absentee where you last lived, whether in or out of state, don’t wait to apply for that ballot; these things take time.

[Queued up to run while I’m in New York.]

Via Michael Masinter I hear,

After oral argument this morning, the Florida supreme court unanimously struck from the November ballot amendments 7 and 9 proposed by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. The two amendments would have amended the Florida constitution to authorize school vouchers, to remove its “no aid” to religious institutions provision from the declaration of rights, and to write the dissent in Locke v. Davey into Florida constitutional law.

Opinion to follow – I think the court had to decide today so the ballots could be printed.

UPDATE: A friend writes to inform me,

My understanding is that the Court moved these AOs up and had to act right away because the Sec of State had said that he was going to certify the amendments on Friday. The order on #7 and #9 tells the circuit court to enter final judgment by tomorrow, Thursday. Judgment on #5 is affirmed and thus final.

UPDATE2: Indeed, the court kicked three amendments off the ballot, all evil and misleadingly described. Amendment Five was the insane property tax amendment — cut property taxes 25% and tell the legislature to make it up to the schools somehow. Seven and nine were as described above.

Amendment Five looked headed for defeat — a majority may have been for it, but not the super-majority required; I think its backers, not least the Governor, may breath a secret sigh of relief. I don't know if the absence of seven and nine (and five) will remove what had been seen as a push for right-wingers to turn out at the polls. After all, Amendment 2, the marriage amendment, is still on the ballot.

Freed from tacking to the center for his national ambitions — or smarting from being rejected for being insufficiently red-meat conservative perhaps — Gov. Crist has pulled a Jeb Bush:

Figure in Clinton Impeachment Is Named to Florida Supreme Court: In a move that drew praise from conservatives, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday named to the State Supreme Court a former congressman who played a major role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
The appointee, Charles T. Canady, 54, spent eight years in Congress before being named an appeals court judge in 2002 by Gov. Jeb Bush.

While in Congress, Mr. Canady was one of the House managers who handled the impeachment case against Mr. Clinton.

This is a divisive appointment.