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Proposed Energy Amendment Cut By Supreme Court

Florida Supreme Court building in front of blue sky
Nick Evans
/
WFSU

The Florida Supreme Court has struck down the Citizens for Energy Choices ballot initiative. They say the ballot summary tells voters they are granted a personal right to sell electricity but that’s not what the amendment would do.
Floridians for Affordable Reliable Energy is one of the 25 parties that shared their opposition with the court. Former Tallahassee City Commissioner Gil Ziffer is on their board. 
 
“If the power companies ever want to have a rate increase they have to go to the Public Service Commission, it’s very heavily regulated but that’s not a bad thing. The states in the rest of the country that have deregulated. Most of them have had very bad end results. In fact, some of them like Massachusetts and Oregon are trying to go back and put the genie back in the bottle. Because it’s just been a higher price for consumers.”
 
So far the 2020 ballot has 3 proposed amendments. The deadline for any citizen initiatives to make the ballot is February 1.

Blaise Gainey is a State Government Reporter for WFSU News. Blaise hails from Windermere, Florida. He graduated from The School of Journalism at the Florida A&M University. He formerly worked for The Florida Channel, WTXL-TV, and before graduating interned with WFSU News. He is excited to return to the newsroom. In his spare time he enjoys watching sports, Netflix, outdoor activities and anything involving his daughter.