Federal judge blocks part of Florida law that restricts ballot initiatives

Federal judge blocks part of Florida law that restricts ballot initiatives

TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge has blocked a key part of a new law that imposed additional restrictions on the state’s ballot-initiative process, saying a ban on non-Florida residents and non-U.S. citizens collecting and delivering petitions “imposes a severe burden on political expression that the state has failed to justify.” U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s ruling Tuesday, however, allowed several other parts of the law to remain in effect, i…

Federal judge issues mixed ruling on Florida’s new ballot initiative law

Florida Decides Healthcare Executive Director Mitch Emerson talks to reporters in Tallahassee outside the federal courthouse May 22, 2025. (Photo by Christine Sexton/Florida Phoenix)A federal judge late Tuesday night blocked parts of Florida’s sweeping new crackdown on ballot initiatives but refused to stop provisions that could hamstring efforts to ask voters next year to expand Medicaid. This marks the second time that U.S. District Judge Mark…