ANOTHER INITIATIVE

Floridians were up to their eyebrows in constitutional amendments on
Tuesday. But today they may want check out the result of voter initiatives
in Ohio and the District of Columbia. Voters there decided an issue that
may resurface on the Florida ballot in two years.

The issue is mandatory drug treatment - rather than jail - for nonviolent
first- and second-time offenders. It made the Ohio and D.C. ballots via the
petition method that has become quite popular in Florida.

The difference between Florida and most other states with initiative
procedures is that Florida initiatives go directly into the state
constitution rather than into the general law.

Arizona and California voters approved similar drug-treatment initiatives
in the past few years. Organizers began a petition drive in Florida this
year, but postponed it when the Florida Supreme Court took too long to give
preliminary approval.

Organizers - financed by billionaires John Sperling of Arizona, George
Soros of New York and Peter Lewis of Ohio - said they would be back for the
2004 election.

It's been a hot issue in the other jurisdictions, and it surely will be
just as hot if it goes on Florida's ballot.

In the meantime, though, voters had more than enough to do in sorting
through all these other issues on yesterday's ballot. It's obvious that
lawmaking by petition is here to stay.