Rarely is it a good idea to get too excited about a bill in the Florida Legislature in advance of each year's session. Only a fraction of them pass, and they go through a lot of changes.  Still, the language of one bill this year - a proposed amendment to our state Constitution - is so dramatic that it deserves early attention. The bill is PCB 3 in the House Judiciary Committee. 

As written, the proposed amendment says four things:

(1) Florida courts cannot limit the power of the Legislature, except where the Constitution specifically says so.

(2) The Constitution cannot be "interpreted" to limit the Legislature's power. The limit has to be "expressly contained" in the Constitution's wording.

(3) When the Constitution tells the Legislature to do something a certain way, it can still do it other ways too.

(4) The amendment is retroactive, reaching back in time.

In short, PCB 3 pretty much says the Legislature can do whatever it wants....

For the complete article please visit the St. Petersberg Times at http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/28/Columns/Who_needs_a_king_if_s.shtml.