Florida voters will now face new hurdles when trying to put proposed laws on the ballot through citizen-led petition drives.
“They are dismantling one of the last remaining tools everyday Floridians have to check their power,” said Holly Bullard , co-chair of Florida Decides Healthcare.
The law — signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis Friday evening — tightens rules on how ballot initiatives qualify.
It comes as petition campaigns are already underway on issues like Medicaid expansion, abortion rights and adult-use marijuana.
“These are not tweaks, they are traps,” said Florida Decides Healthcare Executive Director Mitch Emerson.
The group Florida Decides Healthcare, which is leading the Medicaid expansion campaign, filed a lawsuit to stop the changes.
DeSantis, referencing marijuana legalization efforts, said, “It should not be in our constitution.”
He cited concerns about signature fraud and corporate influence as reasons for signing the bill into law.
Among the new restrictions, voters signing petitions must now include more personal ID, like a driver’s license or Social Security number.
In addition, petition gatherers must be Florida residents, U.S. citizens, and have no felony convictions. Amendment sponsors must also post a $1 million bond.
The law faced vocal opposition during the legislative process and passed largely along party lines. Protesters were escorted out of hearings as tensions ran high.
Now, in addition to legal challenges, another petition is circulating — this one aimed at overturning the new restrictions altogether.
“That law is going to make it almost impossible to have a citizen-led petition here in the state of Florida,” State Sen. Lori Berman said Sunday on This Week in South Florida.
