ATLANTA — ATLANTA – Voters are scratching their heads over the wording of a couple of proposed amendments to the Georgia Constitution.
11Alive viewer Debbie Callahan Loizzo is one voter taken aback by the legal jargon, prompting her to request clarification.
“Can you please explain in simple language the proposed Constitutional Amendments?” Debbie asks
Here’s why they’re on the ballot.
Let’s start with the wording of the proposed amendments. Kathleen Bowen and Larry Ramsay of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia tell us the intent is to get a “yes” vote.
“The wording is almost always done so as to make the voter think there’s only one good answer to the question, and it’s yes,” Ramsay said.
Amendment One mentions dedicating revenues from fees or taxes.
The proposed change was prompted by fees like the extra dollar you pay when you buy a new tire. The money is supposed to go toward the proper disposal of scrap tires.
“Sixty percent of the time those fees are not being used for that purpose,” Bowen said.
The proposed change would provide a way for lawmakers to make sure the money goes where it’s supposed to go.
Amendment Two mentions sovereign immunity and court relief from governmental acts.
Basically, this amendment to the Georgia Constitution would make it easier for you to sue the government in certain situations.
“There’s some logic to the idea that you should have the ability to get into court to get a judge to say, yeah, they’re violating your rights and I’m ordering them to stop,” Ramsay said.
The lawsuits permitted by the change would not be a way to sue for money, but a way to get a state, city, or local government agency to stop an improper act.