Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday lashed out at two proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the November ballot, three days after the Florida Supreme Court signed off on the measures.
One of the ballot initiatives would enshrine abortion rights in the Constitution and the other would authorize recreational marijuana for people ages 21 and older. “Once voters figure out how radical both of those are, they’re going to fail. They are very, very extreme,” DeSantis said when asked about the proposals during an appearance in Davie.
The governor criticized the recreational marijuana measure, which will appear as Amendment 3 on the November ballot, calling it the “weed one” and saying it would go beyond decriminalizing marijuana. “It’s basically a license to have it anywhere you want. So no time, place, and manner restrictions. This state will start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns,” he said. The recreational marijuana initiative comes after Florida voters in 2016 approved an amendment authorizing medical marijuana.
Florida has more than 600 medical-marijuana dispensaries scattered throughout the state. “Every part of Florida, not just South Florida, I see marijuana stores. … but do we really need to do more? With that? Do we want to have more marijuana in our communities? I don’t think it’ll work out well, but it is a very, very broad amendment,” DeSantis said.
The Smart & Safe Florida political committee backing the recreational-marijuana proposal contends DeSantis is incorrect and that the proposal would allow the state to regulate how, when and where marijuana can be used in public places. The measure also says, “Nothing in this amendment prohibits the Legislature from enacting laws that are consistent with this amendment.”
DeSantis also turned his vitriol on the proposal to “limit government interference with abortion,” which will appear on the ballot as Amendment 4, calling it “very, very extreme in a number of different ways.” DeSantis predicted the amendments will fail. “I think Florida voters over the past, you know, four or five (election) cycles have developed the skepticism on these amendments generally, because they’re always written in ways that are confusing.
So I think that there’s a certain segment of voters, they default to just vote no on these things,” DeSantis said. Voters during the past decade, however, have approved high-profile constitutional amendments on issues such as allowing medical marijuana, increasing the minimum wage and restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences.
–News Service of Florida
Rick G says
I guess DeSantis hasn’t figured out yet that he has become irrelevant. The only thing extreme is him and his political ideology
Enough says
DUH Santis is such a contradictory person. Too Extreme? What about making it harder for minorities to vote? Has he forgotten about his stance on abortion? Taking away the rights of various people in his own State that he continually tries to shame and discredit, for absolutely NO REASON!! ? I wonder if this jackass ever hears himself speak as he admires his image in the mirror?
Let’s talk about “extreme”. Extreme Cost of Rents; Extreme Home Insurance Costs; High car insurance rates? Hey, how about extreme homelessness of Vets, who he now wants them off the street and to disappear somewhere?
This man creates more problems because he has no clue how to resolve them.
Robin says
DeSantis wants to turn back the clock criminalizing abortion. We older women know someone who died or nearly died seeking one in the days before Roe.
Been there, lived through it, and we won’t go back!
Laurel says
Robin: You are absolutely correct. I have seen it too. Smoking pot or abortions do not go away because they are criminalized, they simply go back alley where it is far more dangerous, and people do die. Our folks saw what happened with prohibition and bathtub gin. There is no real logic to that mindset other than fear mongering, lack of education and controlling others. Money has a lot to do with it too.
This is DeSantis’ vision of a “Free Florida.” My God, he is tedious.
Stephanie says
Go away Desantimonous
Land of Duh Santi says
Is duh santis worried that if this passes, he’ll have a harder time staying away from the butter? Butter chips and weed = Duh santis fav dessert
Recipe for Butter chips:
Cut up one stick of frozen butter into 1/4″ slices
Dredge each in flower, egg, then breadcrumb (use wet / dry hand technique)
Deep fry until golden brown ~ 2 minutes
Eat as many as you can until you get greasy fingers, then eat one more
Deborah Coffey says
Yep, we’ve still got a democracy where people get a say! Of course, we have to remember that the people also voted to allow ex felons to vote and what did DeSantis do? He impeded the rights of the voters by coming up with roadblocks and is being sued. All Fascists need to be watched and held to account.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/07/19/florida-vote-felon-restoration-amendment-4-desantis/
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
RonDUH just doesn’t get it, tens of thousands of Republican Voters signed both Amendments Petitions knowing full well what they represented and will Vote for both as well.
Sherry says
So happy to see that some people are starting to realize just how extreme the fascist desantis agenda really is. . . thank goodness his Presidential campaign got absolutely nowhere! Thank goodness for term limits!