Federal Judge Blocks Most Florida Ballot Initiative Restrictions

Federal Judge Mark Walker largely upheld Florida's new law imposing strict regulations on ballot petition processes, allowing the state to enforce requirements such as a 10-day submission deadline and penalties for petition fraud, despite legal challenges from advocacy campaigns seeking to expand Medicaid and legalize recreational marijuana. However, Walker issued a narrow injunction preventing enforcement of a provision expanding racketeering definitions against Jordan Simmons, a campaign staffer, citing concerns over unconstitutional vagueness and potential First Amendment violations. In a separate case, U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein blocked the Biden administration's enforcement of grant conditions tied to President Donald Trump's executive orders that restrict diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) programs, immigration assistance, and gender-related policies, ruling that these conditions likely exceed the federal government's statutory authority and infringe on constitutional separation of powers. This injunction protects a coalition of cities and counties, including major urban centers like New York and San Francisco, from losing critical federal funding for housing and transportation infrastructure due to noncompliance with these politically charged conditions. These judicial decisions reflect ongoing legal battles over state and federal attempts to regulate political advocacy and impose ideological conditions on public funding, highlighting tensions around voting rights, direct democracy, and federal oversight of local policies. Both rulings emphasize constitutional protections against vague laws and governmental overreach in the context of contemporary political disputes.