Overview

Powerful lobbyists and their allies in the legislature often make it virtually impossible for average citizens to have a voice in their government. At the behest of industry lobbyists and their wealthy corporate clients, the legislature has raised basic phone rates, delayed deadlines for cleaning up the Everglades and refused to pass an indoor smoking ban.

The initiative process provides an important check on a political system which is often hard if not impossible for ordinary people to influence. When the legislature is not responsive to voters or when industry lobbyist exert an undue level of influence on the political process, the ballot initiative process is the only tool Floridians have to directly address important issues.

While most Floridians have benefited from these reforms, a powerful group of industry lobbyists along with their allies in the legislature have increasingly sought to shut down the ability of citizens to use the ballot initiative process.

Voters should have the right to amend their constitution and legislators should abandon their attempts to restrict the ability of citizens to use the ballot initiative process.