RECOMMENDATIONS 2018 MIDTERM GENERAL ELECTIONS - PALM BEACH COUNTY

Related: Miami-Dade County recommendations 

Related: Broward County recommendations

US Senator:                                                                        Bill Nelson

District 18:                                                                           Lauren Baer

District 20:                                                                           Alcee Hastings

District 22:                                                                           Ted Deutch

Governor:                                                                           Andrew D. Gillum/Chris King

Attorney General:                                                           Sean Michael Shaw

Chief Financial Officer:                                                   Jeremy Ring

Commissioner of Agriculture:                                     Nikki Fried

State Senator (D25):                                                       Robert Levy

State Senator (D30):                                                       Bobby Powell, Jr.

State House (D82):                                                          Edwin O’Connor

State House (D85):                                                          Ellen Baker

State House (86):                                                             Matt Willhite

State House (D87):                                                          David Silvers

State House (D89):                                                          James Bonfiglio

JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT

Retain Justice Alan Lawson                                          YES

FOURTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL

 Retain Judge Burton Conner                                       YES

Retain Judge Jeffrey Kuntz                                          YES

Retain Judge Carole Taylor                                           YES

CIRCUIT JUDGE

Group13:                                                                             Alcolya Jaquet Lashawn St. Juste

Group 18:                                                                            Maxine Dianne Cheesman

Group 25:                                                                            Sarah Willis

COUNTY COURT

Group 4:                                                                              Allegra Philipa Fung

COUNTY COMMISSION

D2:                                                                                         Greg Weiss

D4:                                                                                         Robert Weinroth

Port of Palm Beach (Grp 5):                                                 Joseph Anderson

FL CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS (Must pass by 60% statewide vote to be ratified)

YES on 3, 4, 9, 13

NO on others

#1:  Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption - Increases the amount of a home’s value exempted from property tax (Will force local governments to cut public services or raise local taxes)………………………………………NO

 #2: Limitations on Property Tax Assessments - Makes the cap on non-homestead (2nd homes and commercial) property assessment increases permanent (Will continue to limit resources available for public services; Three South Florida property appraisers support the amendment and say a Yes vote will avert a sudden and largely unexpected tax crisis for more than 530,000 residential and business property owners in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties)……………………….YES

 #3 – Voter Control of Gambling in Florida - Requires voter approval of casino gambling (Removes authority to expand gambling from the legislature and returns it to voters)……………. YES

 #4 – Voting Restoration Amendment  - Restores right to vote for most people with felony convictions upon completion of sentences (Gives 1.5 million Floridians the right to vote after paying their debt to society)…………………………………..YES

 #5 – Vote Required to Impose, Authorize, or Raise State Taxes or Fees - Requires 2/3 vote of legislature to impose or increase tax or fee (Will tie the hands of future legislatures making it nearly impossible to address budget needs, such as teacher raises and natural catastrophes)………..NO

 #6 – Rights of Crime Victims; Judges (multiple questions) - Adds a Marsy’s Law (victims’ rights) to state constitution, increases judicial retirement age; prohibits judges from deferring to admin agencies to interpret law (Victims’ rights already protected in the Constitution; Eliminates an existing provision that protects the constitutional rights of the accused)………………………………………………………..NO

 #7 – First Responder and Military Member Survivor Benefits; Public Colleges and Universities - Requires death benefits for first responders and military members, a supermajority vote for college fees, and adds state college system structure to constitution (3/4 majority vote to increase fees makes it very difficult to meet university needs) …………………………………………………………………………………..NO

   #9 – Prohibits Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling; Prohibits Vaping in Enclosed Indoor Workplaces - Bans offshore oil and gas drilling and vaping in enclosed indoor workplaces (Concern for the environment overrides concern about putting vaping in the Constitution.)…………………………………………………YES

 #10 – State and Local Government Structure and Operation - Prohibits counties from abolishing certain local offices, changes start date of legislative sessions, and adds an executive office and executive department to constitution (Takes away control granted to charter counties limiting ability to respond to local conditions) ……………………………………………………………………………………………….NO

 #11 – Property Rights; Removal of Obsolete Provision; Criminal Statutes - Repeals some obsolete language; repeals a provision saying that changes to a criminal statute are not retroactive (Impact of criminal statute portion is unclear and disputed. Other repealed provisions are already unenforceable or expired) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….NO

 #12 – Lobbying and Abuse of Office by Public Officers - Prohibits public officials from lobbying for compensation while in office and 6 years thereafter (Applied too broadly at local level; will not solve problems of money and influence in politics) …………………………………………………………………………….NO

 #13 – Ends Dog Racing

Prohibits betting on dog races (Ends legal wagering on inhumane dog racing)……………………………YES

P alm Beach County School Board question..........YES