More now on Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission which held a public hearing Wednesday in Panama City. The commission holds the statewide hearings every twenty years. Carlos Beruff, former U.S. Senate candidate, is chairman of the CRC. He was picked to head the group by Governor Rick Scott. Bay County’s Jimmy Patronis serves on the commission. Earlier today, Beruff stopped by our studios and told us more about the group’s goal.. in this News 13 First Person.
jerry:
“what’s the number one goal of your group this year?”
beruff:
“listen to Floridians before we do anything, just listen. Theres some great ideas out there and we have no corner of great ideas just because we’re sitting on this board, but we do have 37 pairs of ears. That’s the game plan.”
jerry:
“the overall group, got a good variety of folks there working with you?”
beruff:
“yea i think its a good group, a diversified group. 9 by the senate, 9 by the house, 3 by the chief justice and the supreme court, Attorney General Pam Bondi sits for herself, and 15 by the Governor. so its a pretty broad representation.”
jerry:
“and the members are compensated for serving on this commission?”
beruff:
“no absolutely not. we all serve for free”
jerry:
“how successful has it been looking back in the past as far as ideas?”
beruff:
“the first one wasn’t terribly successful. the second one i think eight of the nine items they put on the ballot passed so it was pretty successful. and we feel that whatever we put up, we are cognizant that now we have to have a sixty percent majority, twenty years ago it was only a fifty percent majority to get it passed. so we are going to be very careful with the tax payers time and money and only bring forward things that we think will pass that sixty percent litmus test.”
jerry:
“now are you meeting at a different part of the state once a month? how often do you meet, hold these public hearings?”
beruff:
“well this will be the seventh on in five weeks. so we’re pretty active.”
jerry:
“what have you heard so far in some of these public hearings around the state?”
beruff:
“well we’ve heard different things and different concerns but primarily there is an optimism in this state. the state has been doing well economically as you know. its been well lead by a governor that understand that the most important thing to a person and a family is a job that can put food on the table and that process needs to continue.”
jerry:
“whats the number one issue so far? is there something that rises above anything else?”
beruff:
“i would say people are concerned about education is one of the big issues. and we recognize that is the future. educating our children is the future so were pretty cognizant about that.”
jerry:
“so the process that you go through out this year, and you actually wrap up in may of next year, walk me through that process there. what happens after the meetings and everything.”
beruff:
“were going to go through these meetings and then again in the fall. and then well start formulating our thoughts. and then well assemble them in the first part of 18. then once we’ve cut it down to what we think is the right things to push forward, then were going to bring it back to the public, so that they have a final say in how things move forward.”
Carlos Beruff says Florida has this only mechanism in the nation where an individual can bring a great idea to the commission and possibly change the state constitution. Voters will decide on any possible changes in 2018.
