Florida: Term Limits Convention approaches next committee hurdle

Fresh from a 5-4 victory last week before the Florida Senate Ethics and Elections Committee and gaining several important endorsements, the Term Limits Convention bill (SM630) is headed to the Senate Rules Committee for a hearing and vote on Thursday, Dec. 3rd.

If it gets an OK from this committee, the next step is a vote on the floor of the Florida Senate! Hence, next week’s vote is critical.

Two of the pro-Congressional term limits votes from last week’s committee are on the Senate Rules Committee, Sens. Joe Negron and Garrett Richter. There are 9 Republicans and 4 Democrats on the committee.

While certainly no guarantee, this partisan breakdown bodes well for the bill as two important county Republican parties, Palm Beach and Osceola, recently passed resolutions endorsing the Term Limits Convention. The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida officially endorsed the bills as well.

The Term Limits Convention bills (SM630 in the Florida Senate and HM417 in the House) are official applications for an amendment convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution explicitly limited to Congressional term limits. If two-thirds of the states (34) call for such a convention, Article V states that Congress ‘shall’ convene it. There, delegates from all the states will craft a Congressional term limits amendment proposal that would be submitted to the states for ratification. If three-quarters (38) of the states do so, Congressional term limits will be added to the U.S. Constitution.

Click on each Senator’s name below to send them an email expressing your support for Congressional term limits and urging them to support SM630. Look for the Email This Senator radio button in the left-hand column.

The Florida Senate Rules Committee

Senator David Simmons (R), Chair  Winter Park
Sen. Darren Soto (D), Vice Chair  Kissimmee
Sen. Lizbeth Benaquisto (R)  Fort Myers
Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R)   Miami
Sen. Don Gaetz (R)   Destin
Sen. Bill Galvano (R)  Bradenton
Sen. Audrey Gibson (D)   Jacksonville
Sen. Arthenia L. Joyner (D)   Tampa
Sen. Jack Latvala (R)   Clearwater
Sen. Tom Lee (R)   Brandon
Sen. Bill Montford (D)   Montford
Sen. Joe Negron (R)   Palm City
Sen. Garrett Richter (R)   Naples

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