Constitution Revision Commission Chairman Carlos Beruff is ordering the prestigious, 37-member panel back to the drawing board to settle a dispute over ground rules. A marathon working group meeting in Tampa ended without a full review of draft procedures.
Commissioner Tom Lee, a former Senate President, complained the proposed rules would give the chairman too much power and invite back room deal making.
“If we don’t have credibility, if we don’t have a process and rules that create the kind of transparency and input…then we will lack credibility as we present issues to the public," he said.
A handful of advocacy groups, including the League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union, are also calling for a more open process.
Governor Rick Scott and legislative leaders appoint the bulk of the commission, which meets every 20 years to put proposed constitutional amendments directly on the November ballot.
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