TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday criticized two constitutional amendments that will appear on the ballot in November.
DeSantis said that both of the amendments “that the left put on the ballot” will be bad for the state. He made the remarks during a delegate breakfast at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
“I’m not for it,” he said. “I don’t think it’s good to do. I don’t think we need to mess up the state.”
Amendment 3 would legalize recreational marijuana in Florida. Other states have legalized recreational marijuana, which DeSantis said has ruined quality of life.
“You go places like Denver, it smells like marijuana,” he said. “It’s not been good for quality of life. That’s just the reality.”
DeSantis, who implemented medical marijuana in Florida, complained that the wording of the amendment is too broad, and called ballot amendments a “farce” because voters don’t get to vote on the actual language.
“It would be a broader constitutional right than your first amendment rights to speech,” he said.
“This is way more liberal than anything those other states have done. It gives you a limitless constitutional right to possess and smoke, I think it’s up to like 40 joints — 3 ounces would be 40 — more than that, 80 joints, something like that.”
DeSantis has previously made similar arguments, but the 80 joints number he estimated is significantly larger than his estimates made during a June news conference.
“You’ll be able to what, bring 20 joints to an elementary school?” DeSantis said.
However, in a column in the Fort Myers News-Press, an attorney for the sponsor of the amendment said if it passes, the Florida legislature would still have the ability to regulate or ban the use of marijuana in public places, similar to how it already does for tobacco and alcohol.
“No part of the amendment creates a right to smoke marijuana in public,” Glenn Burhans Jr., wrote. “Although the amendment guarantees the right of adults to use marijuana, it does not specify where they may do so. Instead, the amendment leaves that decision up to the state Legislature as it should.”
A copy of the amendment text posted on the Florida Division of Elections website reads: “Nothing in this amendment prohibits the Legislature from enacting laws that are consistent with this amendment.”
“A law that prohibits marijuana use in public places, while permitting adults to consume it in the privacy of their own homes, would be consistent with the amendment’s text and basic purpose,” Burhans wrote.
“But voters should know what the amendment would actually do and not fall prey to disinformation,” he added. “It is wrong to say that the amendment creates an unfettered right to smoke marijuana in public while simultaneously usurping the Legislature’s ability to enact sensible regulations.”
The governor also blasted Amendment 4, which would enshrine the right to an abortion in the Florida Constitution. He called the amendment “wrong” and “something that we have to defeat.”
“[The amendment would] eliminate all pro-life protections, parental consent for abortion, and have abortion all the way up to the moment of birth,” DeSantis said.
The amendment would allow abortions up to the time of viability unless the patient’s health is at risk.
“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider,” the Amendment 4 ballot summary reads. “This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”
DeSantis encouraged delegates to get engaged in both amendments when returning to their respective counties in Florida.
“Those two amendments, if they pass, Florida will get — first of all you do what’s right — but it’ll be bad for quality of life, and it will make Florida more blue. There’s no question.”
Both amendments must be approved by 60% of Florida voters in order to pass.
“If Republicans are united on these, I don’t think there’s any way they can get to 60%,” DeSantis said.
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