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JONI JAMESOnce mostly silent on proposed amendments, the governor starts to weigh in on some issues.
TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush, who has focused primarily on his brother's re-election campaign, has jumped into the middle of the fight over several constitutional amendments.
In the past week, Bush has weighed in on nearly a half-dozen amendments, including supporting a bid to repeal the bullet train and opposing proposals to legalize slot machines in South Florida and increase the minimum wage.
Bush's entry into the debates was delayed by the four hurricanes that hit Florida in a six-week period in August and September, a former aide said Monday.
"I think out of respect for letting him do his job, people haven't really asked him for help until recently," said Cory Tilley, a Republican political consultant and Bush's former deputy chief of staff.
Tilley is working to pass Amendment 3, which would limit legal fees in medical malpractice cases, and Amendment 6, which would derail the bullet train project that voters approved in 2000. In the past week, Bush has lent his support to both measures.
Bush has not campaigned against Amendment 4, which would enable Miami-Dade and Broward voters to agree to place slot machines in parimutuel facilities. But on Monday, No Casinos, a political action group opposing Amendment 4, released a letter from Bush urging Floridians to defeat the measure.
"I am opposed to the casino initiative and have publicly stated my position," Bush, whose approval rating is over 60 percent, said in an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times . "I have told the organizers that I would help more within the constraints of time."
Supporters of Amendment 6, which would end the bullet train project, also unveiled a statewide radio spot featuring Bush on Monday.
On Saturday, the governor, after months of being circumspect on the popular Amendment 5, which would increase Florida's minimum wage, proclaimed the amendment "disastrous" for Florida's economy in a speech in Orlando.
Last week, using an e-mail list from his campaign Web site www.jeb.org Bush strongly criticized Amendment 3, which would limit legal fees for plaintiff's attorneys in medical malpractice lawsuits.
Bush's reach has extended beyond the amendments and President Bush's re-election campaign. In the past two weeks, Bush taped a television advertisement for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mel Martinez and taped a radio ad for the Florida Republican Party asking voters to "Vote Republican. Vote early."
A group pushing to raise the state's minimum wage by $1 to $6.15, said it expected Bush's opposition but still expected the amendment to pass.
"If you listen to this governor, there is never a good time to raise wages in Florida for the people who need it most," said Meghan Scott, spokeswoman for Floridians for All. "I think most voters believe it's something it's time to do."
Bush has not always had success in battles over constitutional amendments.
In 2002, he opposed the amendment to limit class sizes as he ran for re-election. He easily won re-election, but voters approved the class size amendment.