Gabrielle Russon
After an emotional two-hour debate, the House passed a bill with a 76-31 vote that would add new hurdles to citizen-led ballot initiatives, including requiring advocacy groups to pay a $1 million bond.
Republicans argued these reforms are needed to protect the process of changing the state constitution.
“We can’t ignore that evidence the initiative process is broken,” said Fort Myers Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, who sponsored the bill (HB 1205) prior to a committee substitute. “We have a duty to fix it. We have an obligation and a duty to protect our state constitution.”
Meanwhile, Democrats accused the GOP of trying to dismantle the amendment process to block the people’s voice.
“Let’s be honest, members. This bill is not about integrity or transparency. It is about control,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat. “It’s about making it harder for the people of this state to challenge the status quo, to pass initiatives like environmental protection, minimum wage, defending abortion rights, reforming cannabis laws.”
HB 1205 comes following November’s defeat of the abortion rights and legalizing marijuana campaign. Both issues became targets of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was the public face against them and accused the political committee behind Amendment 4 of collecting fraudulent petitions.
Other provisions in HB 1205 would shorten the deadlines to submit signed petitions from 30 days to 10 days and raise fines for groups violating the new rules. It would ban out-of-state residents from collecting petitions and require petition sponsors to pay a $1 million bond after 25% of the necessary petitions to get an issue on the ballot have been collected.
Another provision in the bill would strip the state’s top economist’s voting rights from the panel that determines ballot initiatives’ financial impact.
Currently, economic chief Amy Baker joins with representatives from the Senate and House, as well as the Governor, to vote during the Financial Impact Estimating Conference.
Last year Baker was the lone dissenting voice during the conference’s debate on Amendment 4 abortion rights initiative as she sparred with a DeSantis staffer and a Heritage Foundation employee who had been brought to the table by the House.
Under HB 1205, people signing petitions would also need to include their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security numbers, which Democrats said could put people’s personal information at risk in the wrong hands.
The bill also included a Republican-led effort to prohibit state money from being spent on ballot initiative “communications.” That could limit DeSantis from repeating his efforts last cycle, which reportedly included spending millions of dollars in his fight against Amendments 3 and 4.
Ballot initiatives in Florida already face a tough road to pass since they need at least 60% of the vote.
Democrats said grassroots ballot initiatives sparked positive change over the years, such as universal free pre-kindergarten in a state where Republicans control the Legislature and are unwilling to bend to adopt progressive proposals.
“The Florida Constitution enshrines our right for constitutional amendments. So why are we putting up these hurdles?” asked Rep. Robin Bartleman, a Weston Democrat. “If we really are about the Free State of Florida, which we always like to say we are, then it’s our duty to make sure that the power remains in the hands of the people.”
Rep. Linda Chaney, a St. Pete Beach Republican, seized on a report by the Florida Department of State released less than a month before the election that said the abortion rights political committee committed widespread petition fraud.
In response, the ACLU of Florida said last year, “The Secretary of State’s unprecedented and suspiciously-timed report makes nonsensical claims about a few hundred petitions, which would have had no effect on the campaign meeting the statutory requirements.”
But Chaney argued the report stood as evidence to support HB 1205.
“It is not an emotional issue. It is a fact-based issue to protect the petition process no matter what you are petitioning for,” she said Thursday.
11 comments
Michael K
April 3, 2025 at 5:57 pm
We the people are mere taxpayers. Republicans just want all power and total control.
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
April 3, 2025 at 8:26 pm
Thank you Michael K for finally realizing that the “Dook 4 Brains” lefty Crazys in Florida must be, Henceforth, kept on a short leash.
They almost got marajuana [AKA The Weed With Its Roots In Hell] legalized in The Great Free State of Florida. Thank you, Michael K for helping me, EARL PITTS AMERICAN, defeat that ballot initiave.
Your “BESTY ON THE RIGHT”,
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
JD
April 3, 2025 at 8:29 pm
Well bless your heart, Earl Pitts American, the last man standing between Florida and a peaceful afternoon.
Glad to see you’ve taken up the noble cause of stopping terminal cancer patients, veterans with PTSD, and Grandma Jo’s arthritis from finding relief through the Devil’s Lettuce. What’s next? Outlawing chamomile tea because it makes people too relaxed?
And thank you ever so much for defending Floridians from the terrifying threat of personal freedom. God forbid someone light up a joint instead of drinking their fourth light beer and yelling at clouds.
Truly, your tireless work to keep Florida safe from calm, snack-loving citizens will go down in the history books, right next to leech therapy and “cures” involving turpentine.
Your VERY CONCERNED CITIZEN,
SATAN’S GARDENER JD
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
April 5, 2025 at 11:17 am
Thanks again, JD, these “Parody Posts” of yours are much welcome as they raise the love & feilty of our readership for both me, EARL PITTS AMERICAN and to you, JD.
Thanks again my brother from another mother as in Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Thats why you are good looking like me, your Bro, EARL PITTS AMERICAN.
JD
April 5, 2025 at 11:41 am
Earl Shitts is why God’s last name is Dammit.
Linwood Wright
April 3, 2025 at 11:49 pm
The Free State of Florida
Bill
April 4, 2025 at 7:45 am
Yep. You’re free to do exactly what we tell you to do.
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
April 4, 2025 at 7:57 pm
Bill beware of this ass-clown, Linwood,
I, EARL PITTS AMERICAN, have already advised him that Lin-Wood is a total “Gay Name” and that he would behoove himself to change his name to The Sage Patriot name of “Wood”.
However this Linwood @ss-Clown has decided to ignore my, EARL PITTS AMERICAN’S, Sage Wisdom.
Bill this Linwood guy is a “Dook 4 Brains Leftist Looser” and I, EARL PITTS AMERICAN, hereby order you to stop commenting on his posts.
Thanks, Bill,
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
Paul
April 4, 2025 at 2:09 pm
The lines between New York Democrats and Florida Republicans is staring to blur. Both just lust for power and money. 🤔 what state is next?
Earl Pitts American
April 5, 2025 at 7:59 am
Good Morn’Ting Florida,
It’s all up to me, Earl Pitts American, to close out this artical with my, Earl Pitts American’s, Sage Wisdom.
Thanks to all of my, Earl Pitts American’s, besty leftys for “Weighing In” but as with all things in life we all look to Earl for the Final Word.
EARL DELIVERS THE LAST WORD:
“Florida, these “Ballot Initivatives” are, one and all, Un-Constitutional, and we, The Sage Patriots of Florida, must keep chipping away at them until we, at long last, eliminate them from Florida’s political landscape.
IN CLOSING:
The citizens input is “Constitutionally” their vote for their elected officials ….. PERIOD.”, said Earl.
Thank you, one and all, for subjucating yourselves to the “Higher Wisdom of Earl”. Therefore we shall work together to eliminate these “EVIL ballot Initivatives” from Florida’s political landscape. As we can all agree, these dangerous “EVIL ballot Initivatives” have only been used to promote Evil Perverse things which The Dook 4 Brains Leftys want to poison our Great Society with.
Thank you, Florida, for giving me, Earl Pitts American, the last & final word on this all critical matter of great importance. I’m honored for your love and feility to me, Earl Pitts American
B. Allbritton
April 6, 2025 at 8:22 am
Thanks for bringing my constituants up to speed on the realitys of this situation, Ben
Comments are closed.