Florida Constitution

Both citizens and lawmakers can put proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. This session, lawmakers are trying to create more ballot measures even as they attempt to make it harder for citizens to do the same.

The Senate measure would go further than the House's in some ways. For instance, it would require volunteer petition gatherers — not just paid circulators, as is the case now — to register with the state.

In the past, Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers has tempered her public criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration, which regulates her business. But she called DeSantis' critiques on Amendment 3 “hogwash.”

Floridians will get the chance to vote on whether or not abortion is a state constitutional right via Amendment 4. But what is the amendment? And what are opponents saying about it?

Words such as "viability" and "health care provider" may need clarifying if voters approve Amendment 4. Some legal experts say this could lead to broad interpretations; others say these are defined legal terms.

The deputy secretary of state has asked election supervisors in Hillsborough, Orange, Osceola and Palm Beach counties to gather roughly 36,000 signatures to review.

Ken Griffin, CEO of the firm Citadel, in an opinion piece in the Miami Herald, calls the proposed amendment “a terrible plan to create the nation’s most expansive and destructive marijuana laws.”

The 1st District Court of Appeal quickly denied a request filed by Floridians Protecting Freedom, a political committee sponsoring the proposed constitutional amendment.

Amendment 4 supporters accused the members of the Financial Impact Estimating Conference of misleading voters by including that the measure could lead to Medicaid-funded abortions and costly lawsuits.

Floridians Protecting Freedom filed a brief that said the 1st District Court of Appeal should reject Florida's arguments that a circuit judge did not have authority to order redrafting the statement.

The ruling was the latest twist in a legal battle about the financial impact statement, which appear with ballot initiatives to provide estimated effects on government revenues and the state budget.

The “financial impact statement” would be presented to voters with a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to ensure abortion rights.