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For the seventh time in eight years, a Palm Beach County legislator is still trying to make it virtually impossible for voters to amend their Constitution.

You have to give Rep. Rick Roth credit for persistence in trying to suppress citizen participation in democracy in Florida.

Back to his old tricks, backed by the same old powerful business groups, Roth wants to increase the threshold from 60% to 67% for passage of a constitutional amendment.

Roths proposal (HJR 335) would impose another giant barrier to direct democracy in Florida, while empowering an even smaller minority of one-third of voters to decide the outcome of a statewide election.

This is a sinister ploy to silence the voices of Floridians in the last place where they still have an impact: at the ballot box.

If Roth had his way, Florida would never have raised the minimum wage in 2020, or restored the right to vote to convicted felons (2018), or demanded fairness in how politicians draw congressional and legislative districts (2010).

All three of those are in the constitution after clearing the 60% hurdle, but none reached the lofty 67% that Roth seeks.

Even the wildly popular Save Our Homes amendment, which since 1992 has capped annual assessment increases on homesteaded property at 3%, would never have become law.

Roths rationalization for the higher threshold rests on the premise that voters arent smart enough to figure out the risks of cluttering up the constitution.

The real purpose of the constitution is to protect citizens from our own government, Roth told members of a House subcommittee this week. So I see raising the bar as making sure that the constitution continues to protect you.

Protect us? From what?

Roths gobbledygook tells us nothing. He further weakened his case by noting that voters approved a legislative amendment in 2018 that requires a supermajority vote of two-thirds in the House and Senate to impose or raise state taxes or fees.

Guess what? That didnt reach the 67% threshold, either. It passed by 65.7%.

Florida is already the nations most difficult state for citizens to attain ballot access, as Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO reminded lawmakers in a hearing on Monday. The voters approved the 60% threshold nearly two decades ago.

A Florida ballot initiative now requires nearly 1 million valid signatures, which is an exhausting and expensive undertaking. The Legislature has repeatedly made it more difficult by shortening the lifespan of valid signatures and prohibiting petition circulators from being paid by the petition. (There have been abuses in the signature-gathering process, but a responsible Legislature would promote civic engagement, not try to destroy it.)

But in a tightly scripted House, where every Republican-sponsored bill that reaches the calendar is assured of passage, Roths fellow Republicans raised no insightful questions and rubber-stamped his bill at its last committee meeting Tuesday.

The party-line vote was 11-6, with the no votes cast by five Democrats joined by Republican Rep. Linda Chaney of St. Pete Beach. The local members of the Ethics, Elections and Open Government subcommittee are all Democrats, and voted no, including Rep. Jennifer Rita Harris, Rep. Lavon Bracy Davis and Rep. Kristen Arrington.

As for Roth, the West Palm Beach grower has never come close to winning 67% approval from voters in an election.

In a conservative, rural district stretching across the northern tier of Palm Beach County, he has won four House races with 58, 55, 56 and 60% of the vote against weak opposition. He never came close to reaching the 67% threshold that he wants to impose on others.

Facing term limits in November, Roth has announced plans to run for a state Senate seat.

Roths raising of the bar for democracy requires approval from three-fifths of the House and Senate. If it reached the ballot it would require 60% approval from voters. That may appear hypocritical, but thats the law in Florida.

The good news is that not one senator has filed the same bill, and the 60-day session will reach the midway point next week, so it appears for now that Roths record of futility will remain intact. But with this Legislature, you can never be sure.

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board includes Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writer Martin Dyckman and Anderson. Send letters to insight@orlandosentinel.com.

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Editorial: Renewing the annual assault on democracy in Florida - Orlando Sentinel