Florida Constitutional Amendment 6 Passed Despite Opposition from Law Enforcement
Last month in Florida, a controversial constitutional amendment, Amendment 6, was passed by statewide referendum. The amendment aimed at expanding the rights of crime victims. Unfortunately, politicians in Florida, as well as well-funded outside interest groups, used the referendum to pass other unrelated provisions that many Floridians may not have been aware of when they cast their ballots.
Although the amendment may have had support from some in the law enforcement community, many vehemently opposed the amendment. They argued that the amendment, although well-intentioned, was too ambiguous.
After hearing the outcry from many in the Florida law enforcement community, National Police Support Fund threw its support behind the Florida Fraternal Order of Police and their efforts to advocate against the passage of Amendment 6. Unfortunately, the referendum passed, due in large part to the $30 million effort of the group Marsy’s Law for All to pass the referendum.
“Victim’s rights are always paramount when it comes to issues of law and order,” says Simon Lewis, Executive Director of National Police Support Fund. “In the case of Amendment 6 in Florida, many feared that politicians and interest groups used the issue of victims’ rights to pass completely unrelated provisions. That is why National Police Support Fund supported the Florida Fraternal Order of Police after hearing their concerns on Amendment 6.”
Issues like this one are exactly why National Police Support Fund was formed. We are dedicated to advocating for the law enforcement community and the issues most important to them. In this case, we believe that Florida’s law enforcement community should have had their voices heard by those in government who wished to pass the amendment at all costs.
It’s time that the voices of police officers are heard in the public policy process, and we encourage all those who agree to join our movement in support of America’s police officers.