Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill making it more difficult for citizens to change the state constitution. It was one of his top priorities for the legislative session, and he signed the measure Friday.
Opponents of the new law say it makes changing the state Constitution prohibitively expensive. And they say it creates a chilling effect for grassroots participants. Voters could be charged with a felony for not registering with the state if they collect ballot petitions, or for collecting more than 25 signed petitions, other than their own or those of close family members.
Keisha Mulfort, a spokeswoman for the ACLU of Florida, says the Florida Legislature has been trying to kill citizen-led initiatives for years, and she says this legislation is the latest example.
“We see folks who are making it harder for Floridians to amend our Constitution," she said. "You cut petition time frames. You add more fines and fees. You threaten people with crimes -- all because you don’t like the fact that your constituents want to make the rules for their Constitution.”
Mulfort also says several other states are also moving to restrict citizen initiatives.
“Other states we have seen where legislatures are moving citizens out of the process…We have not seen it to the scale that Florida…just like how Florida used taxpayer money to interfere with Amendment 3 and Amendment 4," Mulfort said. "I don’t think any state has seen it on the scale that Florida has participated. I think we are leading from the front on that end, and not in a good way.”
DeSantis says the legislation is needed because officials found evidence of petition fraud during the last election cycle.
The governor worked to defeat proposed amendments 3 and 4. The latter would’ve protected abortion access. The other would’ve legalized recreational marijuana for adults. He defeated both in November, although a majority of Floridians approved the proposals.
This discussion comes as DeSantis spars with the House over accusations that $10 million in Medicaid settlement money landed in the coffers of a political committee that used those funds to fight the recreational marijuana proposal.
