Hundreds expected at Constitutional Revision Commission hearing Monday in Melbourne

Hundreds of local residents are expected to attend Monday's Florida Constitution Revision Commission public hearing in Melbourne.

The hearing will run from 1 to 7 p.m. at Eastern Florida State College’s Maxwell C. King Center, 3865 N. Wickham Road.

It is one step in a process that occurs once every 20 years, in which a 37-member revision commission reviews Florida's Constitution and proposes changes for voter consideration.

The commission meets for about one year, traveling the state, identifying issues, doing research and recommending changes to the Constitution.

In all, commissioners initially filed 103 proposed changes to the Florida Constitution. Thirty-seven proposals remain under active consideration by the commission for the 2018 general election ballot. Additional proposals also could be considered.

The 37 active proposals deal with a range of issues, including adding restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling in coastal waters; increasing the maximum age for judges from 70 to 75; and establishing a "bill of rights" for residents of assisted-living facilities and nursing homes.

Amendments that get through the commission review process will be placed on the 2018 General Election ballot. Any amendments placed on the ballot by the commission would have to secure 60 percent approval by voters to be added to the Constitution.

By law, 15 commissioners, including the commission chair, are appointed by the governor; nine by the president of the Florida Senate; nine by the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives; and three by the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. The attorney general of Florida — currently Pam Bondi — automatically serves on the commission.

The committee is chaired by Carlos Beruff, a real estate developer, building contractor and the chief executive officer of the home-building company Medallion Home Gulf Coast.

Meredith Beatrice, director of external affairs for the Constitution Revision Commission, said, while she couldn't estimate how many people will attend or speak at the Melbourne hearing, past hearings have been well-attended.

For example, about 700 Floridians attended a Constitution Revision Commission hearing Feb. 6 at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, with about 330 of them requesting to speak before the commission. The hearing lasted nearly seven hours.

If you want to attend or speak at Monday's hearing, here are some guidelines, as provided by the commission staff:

Sign up to speak: The Constitution Revision Commission is a public-driven process, and getting input from Floridians is critical. People who want to speak must fill out an appearance form, which is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at the Citizen Services Desk, starting at noon Monday. The appearance form also available online at flcrc.gov. Appearance forms will not be accepted in advance of the public hearing, however.

One person, one form: Individuals wanting to speak before the commission may not submit more than one appearance form at the Citizen Services Desk. This is to discourage one participant from submitting multiple appearance forms on behalf of multiple participants ahead of other individuals who have been waiting their turn in line. Speakers may speak on their own behalf or on behalf of their organization.

Two-minute limit: To help facilitate a fair process and reasonable waiting times, individuals who submit an appearance form to the Citizen Services Desk will be given two minutes to discuss one or more proposals before the commission. They may not submit multiple appearance forms on multiple topics.

Sign rules: Hand-held signs that does not obstruct the view of other attendees or invade others’ personal space are permitted. Signs must not block walkways. No balloons or noisemakers are permitted.

Decorum: Be respectful of others’ opinions and speaking time allotted before the commission.

Another way to comment: If you do not wish to wait to speak before the commission, you have the option of filling out a comment form and handing it in at the Citizen Services Desk. If you chose to speak before the commission and want to provide more comments, you also can fill out a comment form. All comment forms received at the Citizen Services Desk will be made available to the commissioners and posted online following the public hearing at www.flcrc.gov.

The Melbourne hearing is the second public hearing held on the Constitution Revision Commission’s 2018 “Road to the Ballot” public hearing tour.

Additional information for Monday's public hearing is available online at flcrc.gov/Meetings/PublicHearings, including links to the proposals under active consideration.

Dave Berman is government editor at FLORIDA TODAY.

His Political Spin column appears Sundays in FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649 or dberman@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @bydaveberman

Facebook: /dave.berman.54