Republicans want to stop Gov. DeSantis from spending taxpayer money to fight ballot initiatives
- A Senate committee voted to ban taxpayer money from being used to influence ballot initiatives.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis is accused of spending over $16 million in state funds against abortion and marijuana initiatives.
- The proposed bill requires a $1 million bond for initiative proposals, along with stricter regulations for petition drives.
- Polls show significant opposition among GOP voters to further restrictions on signature collection, with over 72% supporting citizen-driven ballot initiatives.
10 Articles
10 Articles

Florida Senate committee moves to ban using tax dollars on ballot initiative campaigns
Gov. Ron DeSantis used of millions of dollars in state money to battle abortion and marijuana ballot measures last year. Now some in his own party want to rein that in.
Committee would ban use of state funds to advocate on ballot measures • Florida Phoenix
Republican state Sen. Jennifer Bradley speaking with reporters on March 10, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)A committee of the Florida Senate approved an amendment to an election bill on Monday that would ban use of state funds to advocate for or against a ballot measure. The amendment — sponsored by Northeast Florida Republican Jennifer Bradley — was approved as part of a massive election bill (SB 7016) sponsored by the GOP-led Sen…


Republicans want to stop Gov. DeSantis from spending taxpayer money to fight ballot initiatives
Is another intra-branch battle brewing?
Florida judge dismisses Trulieve’s legalization defamation lawsuit
A Florida judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by Trulieve Cannabis against the state Republican Party during the company’s failed push to legalize adult-use marijuana in the Sunshine State. Tallahassee-headquartered Trulieve, which bills itself as the world’s largest cannabis retailer, spent more than $144.5 million on the Amendment 3 campaign last fall. ADVERTISEMENT Though nearly 56% of voters supported legalization, state law requires 6…
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