New Florida ballot initiative law draws fierce backlash, including a lawsuit

Gov. Ron DeSantis was joined by doctors opposing Amendment Four at a press conference in Jacksonville on Tuesday. Photo from Livestream on DeSantis' Facebook for WMNF News.

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Advocacy groups are pushing back on Governor DeSantis’ attempts to make it harder for citizen campaigns to change the constitution.

The law, signed by the Governor last week, requires people who collect over 25 petitions other than their own or their families to register or face a felony.

It’s already received pushback from multiple organizations.

Florida Decides Healthcare, a group trying to get Medicaid expansion added to the constitution through an amendment, sued the state over the law.

Abdelilah Skhir is with the ACLU of Florida.

“It’s a blatant power grab. They are taking this power away from everyday people and consolidating it in the hands of their wealthy corporate donors,” Skhir told WMNF.

He said these laws take the power away from everyday people.

“This process empowers everyday citizens to pass policies that have improved our lives, like raising the minimum wage, protecting the environment, restoring voting rights,” Skhir said.

Skhir also said the state already has the strictest citizen-led amendment process in the country.

“It requires a million signatures from voters across the state, and 60 percent support just to pass. This is just an attempt to further rig the system, to keep power in the hands of politicians rather than letting people have a say through their votes,” Skier said.

Supporters of the new law say it protects the process from out-of-state petition gatherers.