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A new poll claims Floridians will vote for a measure they didn’t like in order to get a school budget requirement written into the state constitution. A proposed amendment will allow voters to decide if schools should be required to spend 65 percent of government funds in the classroom. The second part of the amendment allows the state to offer school vouchers to parents who want to send their kids to private or religious schools. The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission married the two measures and placed them on the November ballot as a single constitutional amendment. A Quinnipiac polls claims voters like the budget measure, but don’t like the voucher idea. ACLU spokesman Larry Spalding said commissioners are trying to pull a fast one on voters.

“It’s a statement I think that they don’t believe the voters of this state, if they understand the issue, will support them. Consequently they take another route,” said Spalding.

The poll claims 63 percent of likely votes would cast ballots for the amendment. Sixty percent is all that’s needed in November in order to pass the amendment.

Billboards now being used to sell sodas and dress shirts could soon carry a more important message. Florida is joining forces with the Outdoor Advertising Association in a statewide effort to use digital billboards in emergency situations. The boards will carry weather alerts, evacuation routes and shelter location in the case of a hurricane or other emergency. Florida Outdoor Advertising Association spokeswoman Amy Bogner said she knows the plan will work, because the boards are already being used to help find missing children.

“The FOAA already provides a similar service to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with the posting of Amber Alert messages. For the last several years it’s been an excellent resource to that agency and we hope it will continue to be the same for this one,” said Bogner.

In an emergency situation, a message will be posted on more than 50 billboards around the state

The primary season will end today with South Dakota and Montana voters casting their ballots. Florida may still play a key role in selecting a Democratic nominee. As Whitney Ray tells us, the state’s undeclared superdelegates may hold the power to give one candidate the push needed to pass the delegate threshold.

Here it Hear: Superdelegates to Play Huge Role as Primary Season Comes to an End

Tuesday morning, Jon Ausman and 11 other superdelegates in Florida were undeclared. Ausman was leaning toward Barack Obama and then he made his announcement.

“He is going to be our democratic nominee. That being said Hillary Rodman Clinton is the person I’m supporting,” said Ausman.

Others came out Tuesday in support for Obama. Reports claim superdelegates could put voters in a position to push Obama over the top when the polls close. Superdelegate Allan Katz is supporting the Illinois senator.

“The pledged delegates are close enough between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, even though Senator Obama clearly had a majority, that some of the superdelegates given the number of superdelegates available are necessary for whoever the candidate is,” said Katz.

Five of the superdelegates including two with offices in the Capitol say they won’t pick a side until there’s a clear nominee. Florida Democratic party Chairwoman Karen Thurman said it would be good if voters had the final say in selecting a nominee.

“That is the one thing that continues to grow with 35 million democrats voting for one of the other. They’ve already placed a vote much more so than the Republicans have they’re ready to go back in November,” said Thurman.

If more superdelegates don’t weight in before the votes from the final two primaries are tallied, Florida’s undeclared could play a huge role in the selecting a nominee.

Florida lost its water war with Georgia and Alabama. The US Fish and Wildlife Service sided with the bordering states, claiming dams upstream on the Apalachicola River wouldn’t kill hurt four threatened species living in the bay. Environmentalists fear the dams could cause Florida to lose some of those species. There’s also concern about the oyster industry taking a blow. Florida Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Sarah Williams says the decision could hit Floridians in the pocket book.

“Reduced fresh water can impact the humidity levels, can impact the health of some of the species that live there and many of those economies depend on the shrimp, the fish, the oysters for survival, that is there lively hood and so impacts to that system to the ecosystem will turn into impacts to the local economy,” said Sarah Williams.

Ten percent of the nation’s oysters are harvested from the Apalachicola Bay.

Florida has the 2nd highest foreclosure rate in the nation. In response, as Whitney Ray tells us, lawmakers voted to provide millions to help people buy homes.

Hear it Here: Housing Help

Tamela Nelloms grew up in an apartment complex. She always dreamed of owning her own home, but didn’t know where to begin.

“You just kind of knew that lifestyle and there wasn’t anyone else going through that process so I didn’t see a path being taken,” said Tamela.

The 33 year-old single mom learned what to look for when shopping for a home with help from Florida Housing Finance Corporation. The state funded group teaches first time buyers what questions to ask lenders and real estate agents. It also provides fixed interest loans.

“The loans are based on the average income per county. In some areas a person can get a loan even if their income is 99,000 dollars a year.

Lawmakers voted to give Florida Housing an extra 20 million dollars to lend. Tamela qualified for a 10 thousand dollar loan. She won’t have to pay it back until she sells her house.

“Once I was notified that I would be able to qualify for those dollars it made the process of purchasing a home a lot easier,” said Tamela.

Florida Housing Executive Director Steve Auger says education is the key, not money.

“We make sure that folks are ready for what they’re getting into and that accounts for our foreclosure rate which is dramatically lower than the conventional markets or the sub prime market,” said Auger.

The low foreclosure rate is good news to Tamela. She’s confident she hasn’t gotten her family into a financial nightmare she can’t afford. Florida Housing helped about 5,000 families buy homes last year.