LeRoy Collins Institute Launches Constitution Revision Commission Project
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The LeRoy Collins Institute (LCI) today launched efforts to educate and engage Floridians in the 2017-2018 Constitution Revision Commission. The Constitution Revision Commission is a group of 37 people who are appointed to review and recommend changes to the Florida Constitution for voter consideration. This important event happens once every 20 years. LCI has convened 18 groups across the state to form the Partnership for Revising Florida’s Constitution, which will lead a public education campaign on the significance of the upcoming Constitution Revision Commission and encourage citizens to get involved.
The Partnership is hosting a kick-off event, “Anticipating the 2017-2018 Constitution Revision Commission,” this Wednesday, October 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Florida State University Turnbull Conference Center. The event features
The LeRoy Collins Institute, in collaboration with The Florida Bar and the Florida Law Related Education Association, is also releasing the Citizens’ Guide to the Constitution Revision Commission. The Citizens’ Guide breaks down the essential elements of the Constitution Revision Commission in an easy-to-understand format. It will be distributed widely across the state and is also available electronically at www.revisefl.com.
“The Constitution Revision Commission only happens once every 20 years and it is too important for citizens to miss out on,” said Dr. Carol Weissert, Director of the LeRoy Collins Institute. “We want the people of Florida to understand how crucial their participation is and encourage them to get involved at every step of the process.”
At the October 28 event, former Florida Governor Bob Martinez, former commissioner Jim Apthorp (1977-1978 commission) and Dr. Weissert will each lead a panel discussion. Issues to be discussed include the importance of the upcoming Constitution Revision Commission, lessons learned from the previous commissions, the characteristics commissioners should possess and constitutional issues of past and future. The full agenda for the event can be found at http://fla.st/1Ro5u0r.
Funding for the Partnership for Revising Florida’s Constitution has been generously provided by the Jesse Ball
To learn more about the Partnership for Revising Florida’s Constitution, please visit www.revisefl.com, like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ReviseFLCon and follow us on Twitter at @reviseFLcon.
About the LeRoy Collins Institute: Established in 1988, the LeRoy Collins Institute is a nonpartisan, statewide policy organization which studies and promotes creative solutions to key private and public issues facing the people of Florida and the nation. The Institute, located in Tallahassee at Florida State University, is affiliated and works in collaboration with the State University System of Florida. Named in honor of former Florida Governor LeRoy Collins, the Institute is governed by a distinguished board of directors, chaired by Lester Abberger. Other board members include executives, local elected officials, and other professionals from throughout the state.