Talhaasi, Florida – A campaign to expand Medicaid in Florida delayed its payment to obtain the case in the polling until 2028, citing a The new state law Restricting the process for constitutional amendments to voters.
Group Florida decided that health care was working to obtain the procedure in the 2026 ballot, with the challenge of law in a federal court. This is the case He is scheduled to go to the trial in January.
On Thursday, the campaign said that by passing the new law known as HB 1205, the ruling Republican. Ron Desantis And the change of the Legislative Council, which is controlled by the Republican Party, “changed the rules of the polling initiative in the middle of the campaign” in a “intentionally undermined” way that prompted the group to collect enough voter signs of voters in Florida to obtain the procedure in the 2026 polling.
“HB 1205 has imposed road barriers that made the signature almost impossible in a timetable for 2026,” the campaign said in a statement.
Desantis representatives immediately did not respond to the comment.
The law signed by Desantis in May determines new limits to the number of petitions that voters in Florida can collect in their efforts to obtain a constitutional amendment to the poll, a ruling punishable by a felony if the voters violate. This procedure also prohibits non -United States and non -Florida residents from collecting signed petitions for polling initiatives.
The Legislative Council in Florida paid changes after months of supporting the majority of voters in the state Police initiatives To protect abortion rights and give legitimacy to recreational marijuana, though The measures decreased From 60 % needed to pass. The legislators have argued that the restrictions needed to fix an operation claiming to be fraudulent.
“HB 1205 was not related to transparency, it was directly aimed at the citizen’s polling initiatives. This law may have been late until 2028, but it wouldn’t prevent us,” said Mitch Emerson, Florida CEO.
Almost 150 laws have been submitted in 15 legislative bodies for the state this year seeking to achieve this The most difficult for initiatives To qualify for voting or win by voters – nearly twice the amount of nearly two years, according to the fair project, a progressive group that has supported dozens of polling initiatives in the states. Voting rights advocates say this trend betrays the promise of direct democracy.
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Kate Payne is a member of the American Press/Report for America State News. Report on America It is a non -profit national service program that places journalists in local news rooms to report secret issues.