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An environmental protection measure on this November’s ballot was enjoying plenty of positive feedback throughout the state, but as Matt Galka tells us, some unexpected opposition has the amendment’s supporters firing back.

A popular amendment on this November’s ballot seemed like a no-brainer for many Floridians – set it in stone that about one percent of state spending goes towards environmental protection efforts. But not everyone agrees.  Florida TaxWatch released their voting guide this week…their conclusion: it doesn’t belong in the constitution.

It rubbed Amendment 1 and Environmental protection advocate Will Abberger the wrong way.

“They don’t think that protecting our state’s drinking water is important enough to be in the state’s constitution, they don’t think that restoring the everglades is important enough to be in the state’s constitution. These are things that Florida voters care about,” said Abberger.

Florida TaxWatch isn’t recommending a “yes” or “no” vote but they caution against tying up future money.

“It’s going to set aside about $500 million dollars a year, in the short term, roughly annually, that cannot be spent to pay down our constitutional obligations on the pension fund, $500 million dollars that cannot be spent on teachers, $500 million that cannot be spent on student learning,” said TaxWatch CEO Dominic Calabro.

TaxWatch says that had the amendment been in place already, environmental programs would have received less money then they got from the legislature in five of the last ten years.

The amendment is polling well and is expected to pass with overwhelming support.