In an early blow to groups attempting to get amendments on the ballot for the 2026 election, a federal judge declined on Wednesday to temporarily block most of the new restrictions on citizen-led initiatives.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s ruling allows Florida to proceed with enforcing most of HB 1205 , one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top priorities for this year’s legislative session, while litigation brought by some of the groups sponsoring initiatives on the ballot on May 4 moves forward.

In the meantime, the state can enforce provisions requiring sponsors to turn in completed petitions within 10 days after the voter signs the form, enact stepped-up fines for providing pre-filled petitions, and collect fines and impose criminal penalties for filling out missing information

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