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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ryan Houck
12/18/08

FLORIDA SUPREME COURT RULES ON SMARTER PETITION

(ORLANDO, FL - December 18, 2008) The Florida Supreme Court today gave the green light to a constitutional amendment proposed by Floridians for Smarter Growth. The decision - agreeing that the Smarter Growth Petition meets all legal requirements - is a major win for business leaders who have supported the Floridians for Smarter Growth petition as a more reasonable alternative to the so-called "Hometown Democracy" amendment.

"We are pleased by the court's decision," said Ryan Houck, Executive Director for Floridians for Smarter Growth. "At a time when many Floridians are concerned about our state's fragile economy, Hometown Democracy is simply not worth the risk. Our amendment is proof positive that there are better ideas out there."

Although Florida Hometown Democracy has often campaigned on the idea of "empowering voters" by giving them a say on land use decisions, lawyers for the group labored endlessly to keep the Floridians for Smarter Growth petition from reaching the ballot.

"Their hypocrisy continues," said Houck. "They pretend to stand for the 'will of the people' and then promptly try to keep the people from voting on our amendment."

Unlike Hometown Democracy, the Floridians for Smarter Growth petition would not place all minor and technical comprehensive plan changes on the ballot. Instead, voters would be able to hold a vote on major issues by collecting petitions from 10 percent of the electorate. Florida has averaged 10,599 comprehensive land use plan changes each year for the past four years - under Hometown Democracy, all of them would have been on the ballot.

Floridians for Smarter Growth was founded by Sunshine State community and business leaders to fight extreme special interests bound to destroy Florida's unique quality-of-life under the guise of the Hometown Democracy amendment. Please visit www.Florida2010.org for more information.