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Florida
Related: About this forumThe Sinister Reason Why Florida Republicans Are Attacking Democracy
The Sinister Reason Why Florida Republicans Are Attacking DemocracyFlorida Republicans have introduced a bill to make it even harder to pass ballot initiatives, ahead of a crucial vote for abortion access in the state.
State Representative Rick Roth quietly introduced a measure in early November to raise the threshold for ballot initiatives to 66.7 percent of votes. Florida already requires 60 percent of voters to support amending the state constitution, meaning the minority rules the Sunshine State. But Roths bill would make it even harder to ratify amendments.
Roth and his fellow Republicans argue that the new threshold is necessary to ensure broader public support for amendments. But whats more likely is that they want to ensure certain issues never succeed at the ballot box.
One such issue is abortion access. Floridas 15-week abortion ban went before the state Supreme Court in September. If the court upholds the law, then an even more restrictive measure banning abortion at six weeksbefore most people know they are pregnantwill go into effect. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the hugely unpopular bill in April.
State Representative Rick Roth quietly introduced a measure in early November to raise the threshold for ballot initiatives to 66.7 percent of votes. Florida already requires 60 percent of voters to support amending the state constitution, meaning the minority rules the Sunshine State. But Roths bill would make it even harder to ratify amendments.
Roth and his fellow Republicans argue that the new threshold is necessary to ensure broader public support for amendments. But whats more likely is that they want to ensure certain issues never succeed at the ballot box.
One such issue is abortion access. Floridas 15-week abortion ban went before the state Supreme Court in September. If the court upholds the law, then an even more restrictive measure banning abortion at six weeksbefore most people know they are pregnantwill go into effect. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the hugely unpopular bill in April.
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The Sinister Reason Why Florida Republicans Are Attacking Democracy (Original Post)
In It to Win It
Nov 2023
OP
hildegaard28
(395 posts)1. Perhaps Democrats
Ought to get ahead of this and put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to make the threshold for ballot initiatives 50+1.
In It to Win It
(9,103 posts)2. It would have to be initiated by citizens
Democrats in the legislature dont have the political juice to put it on the ballot.
ETA: That would also make all of the amendments that Republicans put on the ballot much easier to pass.
hildegaard28
(395 posts)3. Well, yeah
That's what I mean. Like they're doing with an abortion rights amendment they're. Or at least they're trying to. Dem politicians don't have to initiate it. Just get a citizen's group to start it.
ancianita
(38,102 posts)4. Structurally very hard to accomplish, even for purple states like OH.
The 16 billionaires who run their FL plantation have enough paid stooges in place to keep Dems "in their place." Maybe the youth groups led by Frost and Hogg can grind this out but it will be slow going.