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Legislation a death for citizenship changes

Legislation a death for citizenship changes

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Not too long ago, the little guy – often a member of the minority party in Florida – had the chance to do things that the legislators failed or failed to do so

What was once difficult is essentially impossible now.

In a breathtaking step, the legislature of Florida and the governor Desantis gave the death to death for citizenship changes. The influence is enormous, unfair and unfortunately inevitable.

Not too long ago, the little guy – often a member of the minority party in Florida – had the chance to do things that failed or refused legislators. The vehicle for this was the constitutional change, which could be proposed either by the legislator or a citizen, the average Joe on the street.

A certain number of petitions were required by law. As soon as the change has been received, the change was drawn in, placed in the November list and usually over. This happened with Conservation Land in 2014, the medical marijuana in 2016 and the casino gambling in 2018. From 1988 to 2018, 79% of the changes that reached the ballot paper received the approval of the voters. The guy on the street had a voice, a real opportunity to influence politics.

Then the legislator landed a body strike in 2020, which apparently was afraid of losing power. It passed a law on 1794 that imposed great obstacles:

· In order to trigger the review of the Supreme Court of Florida, a citizen application required a signatures of 25% (compared to 10%) of the required total number, and these signatures had to be obtained in 50% (for 25%) of the state's congress districts. That meant collecting more signatures in more districts.

· The Supreme Court of Florida found that the change was valid according to the US constitution. Otherwise it could be thrown.

· The signatures were only valid for one year (instead of two), which had to be done every year, a great additional effort.

With this, these annoying petitions kept the ballot papers away for several years, but in 2024 the Supreme Court of Florida fascinated the establishment by allowing changes 3 (legalized leisure myihuana) and change 4 (liberalizing abortions).

The voters saved the day for the Republican majority by defeating changes 3, which received 56% of the votes of 60% required for approval, and changes 4, which received 57%. But the vote was tight enough that the legislator noticed it.

To be sure that this never happened again, Tallahassee HB 1205, the Coup de Grace, passed the last knee. Among other things, the invoice needs the following.

· Petition sponsors must publish a bond of 1 million US dollars as soon as they have collected 25% of the signatures that are necessary to obtain the measure for the ballot.

· The voters (driver's license, voter -id or four digits of the social security number) must identify to fill a petition.

· The circulators of the petition have to register with the state before collecting more than 25 signed ballot petitions in order not to be accused of crime.

· Collected signatures must be submitted to the election manager within 10 days (around 30).

Governor Desantis immediately signed the invoice into the law.

Tallahassee's political high -duty is only exceeded by its absurd rationalization. A Cosponsor of HB 1205 had to say the boldness: “This draft law is not an attack on citizens' initiatives. It is an attack on those who falsified it.”

The fact is that citizens' petitions are dead. Grass root organizations can no longer afford the costs. What is left are big Money Slugfests between Pro-A-Amendment and anti-amendment groups. Last year, Smart and Safe Florida spent over 150 million US dollars in front of HB 1205 to get a leisure pot on the ballot. Joe Citizen, the guy on the street, had little to do with it.

Then HB 1205 came and put the last nail in the coffin. It is a sad time for all of us.

Dave Trecker, Ph.D., is a long -time community leader who lives in Naples.

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