US EditionFight over Florida ballot initiatives law ratchets up
- On June 4, a federal court in Tallahassee issued a partial injunction against Florida’s recently enacted ballot initiative law, with Chief Judge Mark Walker playing a key role in the decision.
- In May, Governor Ron DeSantis approved a law designed to impose stricter regulations on citizen-initiated constitutional amendments following the recent failure of two such amendments to achieve the required 60% voter approval.
- The law restricts petition circulators to registered Florida voters, shortens petition submission deadlines from 30 to 10 days, imposes financial impact disclosures, increased fines, and expands racketeering penalties to include election code violations.
- Judge Walker granted a preliminary injunction against the vague racketeering expansion, citing the risk of felony charges carrying up to 30 years in prison, while denying most other blocking requests despite acknowledging the law's burdens on petition efforts.
- The ruling temporarily halts enforcement of specific provisions while preserving most of the law’s changes, reflecting ongoing legal opposition from advocacy groups who claim the legislation violates First Amendment protections for political speech and poses a threat to efforts to qualify initiatives for the ballot.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Florida Law Restricting Ballot Initiatives Survives Court Challenge
A federal judge Wednesday refused to block parts of a new Florida law that placed additional restrictions on the state’s ballot-initiative process, turning down arguments by groups seeking to take issues to voters in 2026. As an example of the controversial parts of the law, it would shorten from 30 to 10 days the length of time to submit signed petitions to supervisors of elections. The judge agreed that the law makes it harder to get proposed …
Sun-Sentinel
Orlando SentinelFederal judge refuses to block part of Florida law restricting ballot initiatives
TALLAHASSEE — A federal judge Wednesday refused to block parts of a new Florida law that placed additional restrictions on the state’s ballot-initiative process, turning down arguments by groups seeking to take issues to voters in 2026. Florida Decides Healthcare, a committee sponsoring a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at expanding Medicaid coverage, quickly filed a lawsuit last month after the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov.…
Judge largely denies request to block restrictions on getting measures on Florida's ballot
A federal judge has mostly denied requests by grassroots campaigners to block portions of a new Florida law that restricts the state's citizen-driven process to get constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Temple Daily Telegram
Judge largely denies request to block restrictions on getting measures on Florida’s ballot
A federal judge has mostly denied requests by grassroots campaigners to block portions of a new Florida law that restricts the state’s citizen-driven process to get constitutional amendments on the ballot. Attorneys for two campaigns to expand Medicaid and legalize…
Federal judge partially blocks Florida’s new law that adds rules to citizen-led ballot initiatives
On Wednesday, a federal judge granted Florida Decides Healthcare’s request for a preliminary injunction against new rules on how citizen initiatives get before voters.
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