The Press Club of Southwest Florida is the lead sponsor of a public forum on the Florida constitutional amendments that will appear on the November 8 ballot. The forum will be held on October 10, 6:00-7:30 p.m., at the Norris Center in downtown Naples.
A blue-ribbon panel of experts from around the state will debate the pros and cons of each amendment and address questions from the audience. Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, will serve as moderator.
Amendment 1: a solar-energy proposal backed by Florida utilities will be debated by Jim Kallinger, co-chair of Consumers for Smart Choice, the primary sponsor of the amendment, and Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the leading opposition.
Amendment 2: medical marijuana will be debated by Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United for Care, the main promoter of the amendment, and Bill Prummell, sheriff of Charlotte County and a long-standing opponent of marijuana use.
Amendments 3 and 5: Patrick Neale, a local attorney and administrative law expert, will discuss the benefits and problems, which deal with tax exemptions for disabled first responders and certain low-income seniors.
Other sponsors of the forum are the Collier Citizens Council, the League of Women Voters, the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, the Collier County Presidents Council, the Greater Naples Better Government Committee, Pelican Bay Property Owners Association, East Naples Civic Association, Golden Gate Civic Association and Golden Gate Estates Area Civic Association.
All Press Club of Southwest Florida members are urged to attend and learn more about the amendments. An informed vote in November is important!