SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 2104

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senator Webster moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 1, lines 9 through 31, delete those lines,

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16  and insert:

17         Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 101.161, Florida

18  Statutes, is amended to read:

19         101.161  Referenda; ballots.--

20         (3)(a)  The ballot for the general election in the year

21  2000 must contain a statement allowing voters to determine

22  whether circuit or county court judges will be selected by

23  merit selection and retention as provided in s. 10, Art. V of

24  the State Constitution. The ballot in each circuit must

25  contain the statement in paragraph (c). The ballot in each

26  county must contain the statement in paragraph (e).

27         (b)  For any general election in which the Secretary of

28  State, for any circuit, or the supervisor of elections, for

29  any county, has certified the ballot position for an

30  initiative to change the method of selection of judges, the

31  ballot for any circuit must contain the statement in paragraph

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 2104

    Amendment No.    





 1  (c) or paragraph (d) and the ballot for any county must

 2  contain the statement in paragraph (e) or paragraph (f).

 3         (c)  In any circuit where the initiative is to change

 4  the selection of circuit court judges to selection by merit

 5  selection and retention, the ballot shall state: "Shall the

 6  method of selecting circuit court judges in the ...(number of

 7  the circuit)... judicial circuit be changed from election by a

 8  vote of the people to selection by the judicial nominating

 9  commission and appointment by the Governor with subsequent

10  terms determined by a retention vote of the people selected

11  through merit selection and retention?" This statement must be

12  followed by the word "yes" and also by the word "no."

13         (d)  In any circuit where the initiative is to change

14  the selection of circuit court judges to election by the

15  voters, the ballot shall state: "Shall the method of selecting

16  circuit court judges in the ...(number of the circuit)...

17  judicial circuit be changed from selection by the judicial

18  nominating commission and appointment by the Governor with

19  subsequent terms determined by a retention vote of the people

20  to election by a vote of the people selected by vote of the

21  electorate of the circuit?" This statement must be followed by

22  the word "yes" and also by the word "no."

23         (e)  In any county where the initiative is to change

24  the selection of county court judges to merit selection and

25  retention, the ballot shall state: "Shall the method of

26  selecting county court judges in ...(name of county)... be

27  changed from election by a vote of the people to selection by

28  the judicial nominating commission and appointment by the

29  Governor with subsequent terms determined by a retention vote

30  of the people selected through merit selection and retention?"

31  This statement must be followed by the word "yes" and also by

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 2104

    Amendment No.    





 1  the word "no."

 2         (f)  In any county where the initiative is to change

 3  the selection of county court judges to election by the

 4  voters, the ballot shall state: "Shall the method of selecting

 5  county court judges in ...(name of the county)... be changed

 6  from selection by the judicial nominating commission and

 7  appointment by the Governor with subsequent terms determined

 8  by a retention vote of the people to election by a vote of the

 9  people selected by vote of the electorate of the county?" This

10  statement must be followed by the word "yes" and also by the

11  word "no."

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13  (Redesignate subsequent sections.)

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16  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

17  And the title is amended as follows:

18         On page 1, lines 2 through 5, delete those lines,

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20  and insert:

21         An act relating to referenda ballots; amending

22         s. 101.161, F.S.; revising ballot language used

23         to change the method of selecting circuit and

24         county court judges; providing an effective

25         date.

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