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By STEVE BOUSQUET, Times Staff WriterHalf of respondents to a Florida Chamber of Commerce poll favor making it harder to change the Constitution.
TALLAHASSEE - With dozens of ballot initiatives proposed for next year, the Florida Chamber of Commerce says it's time to make it harder to change the state Constitution.
The chamber released a poll Thursday by its political arm showing that 50 percent of respondents favor restrictions on amendments.
The influential business group is holding focus group meetings across Florida and studying restrictions, from requiring more voter signatures on petitions to a three-fifths vote for passage.
If a two-thirds vote were required, smaller classes, high-speed rail, universal prekindergarten and protection of pregnant pigs would not have made it into the Constitution. Except for the pigs, those amendments will cost billions of dollars to implement.
As many as 52 initiatives could appear on the 2004 ballot, ranging from a state minimum wage to legalization of Las Vegas-style slot machines.
"Everyone agrees this is potentially the biggest problem Florida has ever seen," said Mark Wilson, the chamber's senior vice president. If the process remains unchecked, Wilson said, Florida could be forced to consider an income tax to pay for voters' wants.
In a telephone survey of 600 registered voters on Aug. 26, the chamber compared Florida to California, with its messy recall election and widespread use of the ballot initiative to set policy.
Referring to "special interest" constitutional amendments, the poll asked: "Do you believe Florida should do something now, before it is too late, to restrict the ability of putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot?"
Fifty percent answered yes, 38 percent answered no, 10 percent were undecided and 2 percent refused to answer.
Groups that have used the initiative, such as trial lawyers and supporters of smaller classes, said that while the system needs improvements, limiting citizen access would be a dangerous step.
Scott Carruthers of the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers said it is too easy to amend the Constitution and that paid petition gatherers should be outlawed. But he said it's no coincidence that big business wants to restrict access to the Constitution.
"If they're trying to shut the door to initiatives, it's not to protect the people, it's to protect corporate interests," Carruthers said. He said the Florida Legislature is so beholden to business interests that the initiative is a citizen's only way to effect state policy.
Damien Filer, spokesman for the Coalition to Reduce Class Size, which was backed mainly by individuals and groups aligned with the Democratic Party, said the chamber asked a "leading question" to get the answer it wanted.
The chamber's most recent focus group meeting was in Oldsmar on Wednesday. Mayor Jerry Beverland said voters should know more before they vote on amendments, but he opposes restrictions.
The chamber poll also tested how favorably voters viewed President Bush, Gov. Jeb Bush and other leading officials. The president was favored by 59 percent of those surveyed and the governor by 57 percent.
Also tested were most of the announced candidates for U.S. Senate. Most did not recognize any of the candidates. But of those who did, Betty Castor had the best ratings among Democrats, with 21 percent viewing her favorably and 5 percent unfavorably.
Among Republican Senate candidates, former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum had the best numbers, with 29 percent viewing him favorably and 12 percent unfavorably.