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Voters requesting mail in ballots, and those who vote in person may be surprised to see that there is a constitutional amendment on this months  primary ballot. Amendment Four limits tax increases for businesses installing renewable energy devices, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, lawmakers put it on the August ballot to remove confusion.

It is called Amendment four, but it ’s the only amendment on the August ballot. It limits tax increases for businesses that install solar or other renewable energy devices. Lee Country State Rep. Ray Rodrigues says the current system has actually kept companies from moving to renewables.

“So some businesses that have engaged in solar has seen their property values go up, which increases their property taxes, and received a tangible personal property tax, and they end up paying more in taxes than they are saving in their energy” says Rodrigues.

This week, a political action committee called stop playing favorites was launched.

“Amendment four gives big tax breaks to the big solar companies and corporations. Its not for you” is the message of an ad on the groups website.

Conservative Radio host Jason Hoyt is behind the PAC.

“This is not a free market principle. This is the Legislature carving out an exemption for one industry” says Hoyt.

The reason amend four is on this month’s primary ballot is because the utilities successfully put an industry friendly amendment on the November ballot, and sponsors were worried  that voters would get confused, thinking they would have to choose one over the other.

Sponsor Rodrigues says that if voters approve of four, the state might have start living up to its moniker of the sunshine state.

“Florida would lead, would move from one of the the bottom ten states in solar to one of a top ten states” says the Sponsor.

Sixty percent, or six out of every ten voters are needed for the amendment to pass.

Voters approved the same break for homeowners by a narrow margin in 2008.