1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

Dear Gov. DeSantis, Sen. Wright, and Rep. Barnaby, I strongly urge you to vote NO on any attacks on citizen-led amendments and to vote NO to uphold the principles that protect our communities. Citizen-led amendments empower everyday citizens to pass policies that improve our lives. The process to get an amendment on the ballot in Florida is already one of the strictest in the nation, requiring nearly one million signatures to get on the ballot and 60% support from voters to pass. Yet out-of-touch politicians are further rigging the system in their favor. Policies like House Bill (HB) 1205 are an affront to Floridians who don’t have millions of dollars to their name and deserve to maintain the right to have a say in what is on the ballot. Democracies thrive on understanding the will of the people. Without the ability of citizens to bring concerns to the state in the form of legislation, how will new ideas be discussed and deliberated among the committee members? The very core of democracy is dependent upon and open exchange of ideas. Please consider how new legislation will come to pass without this free forum available to citizens. This does not just prevent one side's political views from being heard, but across the board, citizens voices become silenced with the passing of this bill. Thank you,