The Sinister Reason Why Florida Republicans Are Attacking Democracy

[In It to Win It]

The Sinister Reason Why Florida Republicans Are Attacking Democracy

Florida 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 Roth’s 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 what’s more likely is that they want to ensure certain issues never succeed at the ballot box.

One such issue is abortion access. Florida’s 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 weeks—before most people know they are pregnant—will go into effect. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the hugely unpopular bill in April.

[hildegaard28]

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]

2. It would have to be initiated by citizens

Democrats in the legislature don’t 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]

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]

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.