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Count 'Em: 9 Constitutional Amendments

By Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today

Published: May 17, 2008

SEBRING — Start reading and listening, because there's a lot to learn before November.

So far, nine state questions have been approved for the Nov. 4 ballot, which will also decide who will be the next president, congressman, state representatives and state senator.

So get ready for a cluttered ballot. "There's always confusion on constitutional amendments," said Jennifer Davis, communications director, the Florida Department of State.

And get ready for the hype, because voters will decide on gay marriage and whether illegal aliens can own land.

"The marriage amendment will get a lot of exposure," Davis predicted.

In 2006, Arizona voters narrowly defeated a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, becoming the first state in the country to reject such a measure.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts and California. Vermont, California, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Connecticut and New Hampshire allow same-sex civil unions. Twenty-six states have passed state constitutional amendments defining marriage between one man and one woman.

Three schools issues are on the ballot: the exchange of a penny sales tax for school property taxes, a county option for a sales tax to fund community colleges, and a requirement to spend 65 percent of school funding on classroom instruction, rather than administrative salaries or mowing lawns.

Six issues affect pocketbooks: the three school tax proposals, tax breaks for storm hardening and renewable energy improvements to homes, and exemptions for working waterfronts.

"That one won't affect Highlands County," said Ed Sager, coordinator for commercial real estate in the Highlands County Property Appraiser's office. "That's mostly for coastal areas."

This election will be costly for Highlands County, said Joe Campbell, the elections supervisor. "We pay to have to print this on double-sided pages. They cost anywhere from 25 to 38 cents each."

Now multiply 38 cents times 60,000 registered voters in Highlands County.

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