A proposed amendment to the state constitution has gotten the OK from the Florida Supreme Court. The amendment would earmark billions of state dollars for land and water conservation.
To be exact, the amendment would earmark $10 billion over a period of 20 years.Pegeen Hanrahan works for a coalition of environmental groups called Florida’s Water and Land Legacy. She says the conservation money would come from the documentary stamp tax.
“People only pay that when they buy or sell real estate, for the most part", explained Hanrahan. "And it is not a new tax, it is a continuation of an existing funding source.”
The Legislature has cut spending on conservation programs because of shrinking state revenues. The State Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the amendment’s wording meets state requirements.
To get it on the 2014 ballot, supporters will have to collect nearly 700,000 signatures. To pass the amendment, they’ll have to convince 60% of Florida voters to say yes.