Common Cause Florida
Recent News About Common Cause Florida
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Common Cause Florida urges no vote on Amendment 6 in November
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Amendment 6, which seeks to eliminate Florida’s long-standing public campaign financing program, is set to appear on the November 2024 ballot. The amendment aims to remove public funding that supports candidate diversity and helps reduce excessive campaign spending.
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Redistricting plaintiffs decide against appealing federal court's redistricting ruling
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The group of nonpartisan voting rights organizations involved in the Common Cause Florida v. Byrd case will not appeal the March 27 redistricting decision from the federal court for the Northern District of Florida. That decision ruled that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional map, which intentionally silences Black voters, can remain in place for the 2024 election. The groups' request for the Northern District to reconsider the ruling was denied on June 11, 2024.
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Governor DeSantis signs controversial ethics bill limiting complaint filings
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Friday, June 21, Governor DeSantis signed a contentious ethics bill into law that will make it significantly more challenging for Floridians to file ethics complaints against government officials accused of violating the public trust. The law also imposes new restrictions on local ethics boards, such as those in Miami and Tallahassee, which will no longer be able to pursue self-initiated investigations from anonymous credible whistleblowers. This legislation is set to take effect on July 1.
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Voting rights groups oppose use Of EagleAI for voter list maintenance
Florida voting rights groups have issued a formal letter to Secretary of State Cord Byrd, urging the state not to use data from EagleAI or similar platforms for voter list maintenance. They argue that such action would likely violate both state and federal law and could improperly jeopardize the voting status of thousands of Floridians.
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Florida groups oppose use of unreliable software for voter list maintenance
Florida voting rights groups have urged Secretary of State Cord Byrd to refrain from using data from EagleAI or similar platforms for voter list maintenance, citing concerns over reliability and legality. The groups argue that utilizing such data could violate state and federal laws, risking the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters.
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New AI Law Leaves Voters in the Dark
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor DeSantis signed into law House Bill (HB) 919, which fails to properly protect Floridians from manipulated information created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in political advertising.In response to the signing, Amy Keith, Executive Director of Common Cause Florida, expressed disappointment, stating, "Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature missed an opportunity to protect voters from the threats presented by AI and deepfakes in our elections."Keith further criticized the bill, highlighting that "The disclaimer required by this...
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Voting Rights Groups Send Congressional Map Back for Review
Tallahassee, FL—Yesterday, Common Cause Florida and co-plaintiffs filed a motion for a federal court to reconsider its decision in the congressional redistricting case, Common Cause Florida v. Byrd. The co-plaintiffs argue that because Governor DeSantis was actively involved in the legislative process and had discriminatory intent, his intent cannot be separated from the process, and that the voting maps are discriminatory and therefore invalid under the law.In March, a federal court upheld the governor’s congressional map that intentionally silences Black voters on the...