House Bill 1205 raises concerns across voting rights organizations, including the ACLU of Florida
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Today, the House Government Operations Subcommittee passed House Bill 1205 by Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka. HB 1205 would create major financial and legal barriers to the citizen-led amendment process if passed into law, making it inaccessible for everyday Floridians.
Florida’s citizen-led amendment process is already the strictest in the nation, requiring nearly one million signatures to get on the ballot and 60% support from voters to pass. These proposed changes would drastically limit access to the amendment process to billionaires and corporate elite donors.
Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel of the ACLU of Florida, responded with the following:
“Through the citizen-led amendment process, Floridians have had the freedom to vote on the laws that govern their lives. For decades, this process has led to significant reforms that improve the lives of all Floridians, including becoming one of the first states in the country to offer free voluntary pre-k to families, raising the minimum wage, protecting our environment, and restoring voting rights.
“In recent years, politicians have made it harder for Floridians to have a say on amendments that improve our lives and strengthen our communities. HB 1205 continues these attacks on direct democracy. The bill is designed to make it much harder for regular Floridians to propose and pass citizen-led amendments.
“Tallahassee politicians have witnessed the power of the people and want to rewrite the rules to attack our ability to participate in the democratic process. Those in power want to limit access to direct democracy and interfere with our freedoms. They want to keep control in their own hands instead of letting it reside with the people.
“Make no mistake: HB 1205 is an aggressive attempt to limit our freedom to vote on policies Floridians care about. It is a blatant attempt to consolidate power among politicians and billionaires, but we will not back down. Our democracy is meant to serve all of us, not just some. We call on all Floridians to contact their representatives with a simple demand: hands off our Constitution.”
