Florida enacts law changing initiative process requirements
On May 2, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed House Bill 1205 (HB 1205), making multiple changes to the state’s citizen initiative process. This process allows citizens to propose statutes or constitutional amendments, depending on the state, and collect signatures to place their proposals on the ballot for voters to decide.
Among the changes that HB 1205 makes to the initiative process are:
- Requiring sponsors to affirm they are not convicted felons, are state residents, and citizens of the U.S.
- Requiring petition circulators to register with the Secretary of State and complete mandatory training.
- Requiring circulators to sign a statement affirming that they witnessed each signature and they were not paid based on the number of signatures collected. Florida is one of nine states that has banned pay-per-signature policies.
- Requiring a financial impact statement to be obtained from the Financial Impact Estimating Conference (composed of four individuals designated by the governor, the Office of Demographic Research, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House) before collecting signatures and requires the statement to be included on the petition form and on the ballot.
Florida is one of 26 states with at least one type of citizen initiative process at the state level.
Seven new ballot measures have been certified for 2025, and two new measures have been certified for 2026
As of May 27, the number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles.
Twenty-two measures have been certified for the 2025 ballot in Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. Voters have already decided on six measures, while the other 16 are scheduled for elections on Nov. 4. Forty-three measures have been certified for the 2026 ballot in 25 states.
The next signature deadlines for initiatives intended for the Nov. 4, 2025, ballot are July 2 in Ohio and July 3 in Washington.
Eighteen special state legislative elections to happen in Mississippi—more than any other state so far this year
Fifteen more state legislative special elections will happen this year in Mississippi—10 in the Mississippi Senate and five in the Mississippi House of Representatives—after a successful redistricting challenge that led to redrawn maps concluded this month.
Previously, the state held two special House elections in March and one special Senate election in April. That brings its total to 18, more than any other state this year, and 25% of the 72 special legislative elections that were held or are scheduled to be held this year.
Fourteen states have passed policies on K-12 public school cellphone use in 2025
On May 20, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed Legislative Bill 140, which requires public school districts to adopt policies prohibiting students from using cell phones on school property. The Nebraska Senate approved the bill 48-1 on May 14. The law will take effect before the 2025-2026 school year.
On May 20, the Alaska Legislature voted 46-14 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s (R) veto of HB 57, an education funding bill that includes a requirement that K-12 public school districts develop policies regulating student cellphone use. HB 57 does not require that districts ban cellphones during the school day, only that they adopt a policy and share it with parents, students, and school employees.
So far this year, at least 14 states have enacted such laws or policies. As of May 27, 27 states have laws or policies on cell phone use in K-12 public schools.
Twenty states have passed legislation to adopt these restrictions. Eight states have adopted restrictions through gubernatorial executive orders, or a state board of education or superintendent of public instruction policy.