Common Cause Florida is calling on the Florida Legislature to stop attacking citizen-led amendments and honor the direct democracy that is guaranteed to Floridians in the state constitution.

The Florida House of Representatives passed HB1205 today, which would place harsh restrictions on the citizen-led amendment process, making it extremely difficult for citizen groups to get an amendment on the ballot:

• Sets an unrealistic 10-day deadline for submitting petition signatures
• Bans important quality control measures 
• Makes the process so expensive that truly citizen-led amendments would no longer be possible
• Threatens volunteers with potential fines and felony charges for something as simple as helping a person with a disability fill out a petition form

“HB1205 restricts everyday Floridians from participating in the citizen-led amendment process, and hands the process over to billionaires and corporate elites. We deserve a process that lets We the People put citizen-led amendments up for a vote. But, instead of protecting citizen-led amendments, the Florida House just passed a bill that adds massive bureaucratic hurdles and shuts We the People out,” said Amy Keith, Common Cause Florida Executive Director.