Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly signed a bill Friday night that opponents say will make it harder for Florida citizens to place constitution-changing measures on the ballot.
The governor approved it without fanfare and didn't wait long or give press advanced notice. It passed the Legislature earlier in the day.
On 2024’s Election Day, Florida voters considered two high-profile constitutional amendments that would've allowed recreational marijuana and expanded abortion access.
Both fell percentage points short of the 60% approval threshold required for passage and faced fierce opposition from the DeSantis administration.
While Democrats said the measure, HB 1205, would be damaging to democracy, Republican supporters argued it's needed to prevent fraud.
The legislation says that anyone who collects more than 25 non-family petitions for a ballot measure must register with the state or face felony penalties.
Floridians would also have to provide more personal identifying information on petition forms, and petition groups would face shorter deadlines and heftier fines for violations
The measure also notably prevents public funds from being used to advertise for or against constitutional amendments. DeSantis’ administration faced criticism for using millions of state dollars to oppose the marijuana and abortion measures.
DeSantis noted his signature in a Saturday morning social media post. He used the opportunity to lob another barb in an ongoing feud with the House.
"This should have been done in January but House leadership blocked it," DeSantis wrote. "Glad the Senate’s stronger version prevailed against attempts by the House leadership to water the reforms down."
In recent years, Floridians have approved a number of widely wanted changes that state leaders either disliked or ignored. These were put on the ballot by citizens:
Some provisions in the new law take effect immediately, while others do on July 1.
If you have any questions about the legislative session, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
