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Who Does Gerrymandering Truly Harm?
Posted by Todd Hooper · August 29, 2025 4:24 PM · 1 reaction

2025 Florida Legislative Session Summary

Missed Deadlines and…

The 2025 Florida legislative session was one of the longest and most turbulent in recent memory. Originally slated for 60 days, the session stretched to 105 days – the longest regular session since 2002 – because of an impasse over the state budget. Governor Ron DeSantis and the Republican-dominated Legislature clashed as both chambers sought to reassert legislative independence.

Despite this rocky path, the Legislature passed 269 bills (down from 313 in 2024), mostly focused on consensus topics such as tax relief, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness. Agreement on Florida's $115 billion budget was eventually reached during the June extension. Several more controversial proposals that had drawn headlines – including those targeting education, the media, and abortion rights – ultimately failed to advance. Of the passed bills, dozens await DeSantis’s signature; he also may exercise his line-item veto authority as relates to the budget.

While the Republican supermajority could have passed sweeping legislation, internal GOP divisions and growing public pressure constrained the eventual sweep of legislation. For reform-minded Floridians, this session again showed the rigidity of entrenched partisan power. However, it also demonstrated the power of civic engagement and the importance of prior reforms (for example, if DeSantis was not term-limited, the legislative dynamic would have been much different and the legislative agenda likely more adverse).

…Missed Opportunities

Of the about 2,000 bills introduced for this session, the Florida Forward Party (FFP) focused on the small portion of these that impact voter access, candidate viability, and the functioning of Florida’s democratic systems. We closely tracked this subset, eventually taking positions on seven bills that had some chance of passing and would have had substantial impact if they did. We supported Democratic- and Republican-sponsored bills and similarly opposed bills sponsored by both parties.

Unfortunately, four bills FFP supported failed to pass:

• SB 216: Would have barred state agencies from using public funds to support or oppose constitutional amendments
• SB 588: Would have reduced unwanted texts and calls voters are bombarded with during campaigns
• SJR 802: Would have allowed term limits for county commissions and school boards
• HB 637: Would have revised existing term limits for state representatives and senators

More positively, two bills we opposed also failed to pass:

• SB208: Would have surrendered Florida’s Electoral College votes
  SB 280: Would have added obstacles to qualifying for third-party candidates

FFP also opposed the worst bill introduced in the session, which unfortunately did pass. HB 1205 effectively eliminates citizen-sponsored amendments to the Florida Constitution. This effectively adds another brick to the wall protecting the Red-Blue duopoly.

These seven of the bills and their implications are discussed in detail below.

Help Build a Better System

Florida’s 2025 legislative session made one thing abundantly clear: our political system is built to favor insiders and suppress competition. The passage of HB 1205 is the perfect illustration of the suffocating nature of the prevailing political duopoly. But the Forward Party remains undeterred. We believe most Floridians want a political system that works – one where voters have better choices, new voices can emerge, and we can make progress on our biggest challenges. That’s why we’re building something new.

And we need your help:

• Volunteer to join the cause - check out the multiple open positions needing your talent
• Donate to support nonpartisan electoral reform and help independents compete on a level playing field
• Run for office to answer the question “why not me?” and make a difference
• Register as a member of the Florida Forward Party

We are not about partisanship. We are about solutions. If you believe that democracy should be open, representative, and fair — then join us. Together, we can build a Florida that moves not left, not right, but Forward.

Forward Stances: Select Bills and What They Mean for Reform

Bills FFP Supported

SB 216: Campaign Finance – Public Neutrality in Amendment Campaigns

• Party of Primary Sponsor: Democrat
• Status: Did not pass
• FFP Stance: Supported
• SB 216 would have barred state agencies from using public funds to support or oppose any constitutional amendment or revision under consideration by voters. The bill is a direct response to reports that in 2024, multiple state agencies drew from the Florida opioid settlement trust and other public funds to fight Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4, which would have expanded abortion access. Florida Forward supported this bill as a needed guardrail against the use of taxpayer dollars to influence ballot campaigns
• Impact: The failure of this bill allows incumbent powers to continue using state funds to actively campaign against the initiatives of citizens. It’s another example of a legacy
  party retaining the power to tilt the system against opposition.

SB 588: Campaign Communications Transparency

• Party of Primary Sponsor: Republican
• Status: Did not pass
• FFP Stance: Supported
• SB 588 would have required campaigns and political committees to honor opt-out requests from voters who no longer wish to receive political texts, calls, or digital messages. It also would have allowed voters to recover legal fees when enforcing these requests.
• Impact: Florida Forward supported this bill as a step toward restoring consent in political communications and discouraging politicians from sending unwanted texts and calls. It’s worth revisiting.

SJR 802: Term Limits for County and School Board Members

• Party of Primary Sponsor: Democrat
• Status: Did not pass
• FFP Stance: Supported
• SJR 802 was a proposed amendment that would have allowed voters to impose term limits on members of county commissions and school boards across Florida in the 2026 election. FFP supported this bill as a commonsense reform to break cycles of local political entrenchment and create more accessible pathways for new civic leaders. Term limits promote political renewal and discourage the kind of careerism that often disconnects elected officials from their communities.
• Impact: Though it didn’t pass, term limits remain popular with voters across the political spectrum.

HB 637: Term Limits for State Legislators

• Party of Primary Sponsor: Republican
• Status: Did not pass
• FFP Stance: Supported
• HB 637 was a proposed amendment to revise term limits for state representatives and senators, reducing maximum service from 12 years to eight years in each chamber. Florida Forward supported HB 637 as a natural extension of the term limit reform proposed in SJR 802 (see above), which applied to local county and school board officials. Both measures reflect FFP’s core belief that turnover in elected office is essential to preventing political stagnation and insider dominance.\
• Impact: FFP views legislative term limits as an important accountability reform worth pursuing in future sessions.

Bills FFP Opposed

HB 1205: Restrictions on Citizen Ballot Initiatives

• Party of Primary Sponsor: Republican
• Status: Passed and signed
• FFP Stance: Opposed
  Described by Florida Forward as a bill that "effectively eliminates citizen-sponsored amendments to the Florida Constitution," this sweeping new law imposes heavy restrictions on the process by which citizens place constitutional amendments on the ballot.
• Impact: In a state where constitutional amendments have been one of the few ways for citizens to enact meaningful reforms these restrictions raise the barrier to direct democracy precisely at a time when voters are seeking alternatives to partisan gridlock. Lawsuits have been filed challenging the law on First Amendment grounds, as noted by groups like Florida Decides Healthcare and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The FFP has flagged HB 1205 as the most damaging bill of the session and one that could derail future attempts to bring open primaries or ranked choice voting to the ballot.

SB 208: National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

• Party of Primary Sponsor: Democrat
• Status: Did not pass
• FFP Stance: Opposed
• SB 208 proposed that Florida join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, committing the state’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote if enough other states do the same. FFP opposed SB 208, citing concerns that it makes voters in the country’s largest population centers, which excludes most Floridians, supreme and strengthens the national Democrat-Republican duopoly.
• Impact: Its defeat aligns with FFP’s emphasis on empowering voters through system-level innovations that increase participation and fairness. The Forward Party advocates tackling primary reform and ballot access first, rather than altering presidential vote counting mechanisms in isolation.

SB 280: Candidate Qualification Requirements

• Party of Primary Sponsor: Democrat
• Status: Passed Senate, failed in House
• FFP Stance: Opposed
• SB 280 would have imposed a strict 365-day affiliation rule on all candidates seeking to run under a political party or as no-party-affiliation (NPA). Candidates would be disqualified if they had not maintained that registration status for the entire year prior.
• Impact: FFP opposed this bill on the grounds that it would make it harder for new voices, including independents, reformers, and third-party candidates, to enter races. It entrenches the two-party duopoly and disadvantaged grassroots challengers who often emerge closer to election season. Thankfully, the measure failed.

Previous Posts About the 2025 Legislative Session

Bills Florida Forward are tracking in 2025

We believe everyday Americans should be able to decide what’s best for them and their communities. That’s why we’re building a party that puts the power back in the hands of the American voter, through legislation that seeks to redistribute power away from the two-party duopoly, supporting elected officials and candidates who share our values and encouraging good ideas no matter the source.

LEGISLATION

Legislative Session 2025

Forward is committed to allowing candidates to formulate positions on all issues without adhering to a party platform or litmus tests.  We also are committed to improving the incentives that drive the integrity of elections and governance.  

Our Legislative Agenda, then, focuses on bills before the Florida Legislature that may enhance or detract from these incentives.  We will advocate for the support of or opposition to such bills. Individual Forwardists may hold a different view which, of course, we will respect.

Tap the links below for analysis and calls to action on specific bills:

House Bill 1205: Initiative Petitions for Constitutional Amendments - OPPOSE (***UPDATE*** Has been signed into law)

Senate Bill 588: Campaign Communications - SUPPORT

Senate Bill 208: Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote - OPPOSE

SJR 802: Term Limits for Members of Boards of County Commissioners and District School Boards - SUPPORT

Additionally, our Policy Team recommends support or opposition for these bills, with links to the bill text:

Senate Bill 280: Candidate Qualification (Providing eligibility requirements for persons seeking to qualify for nomination as candidates of a political party or as candidates with no party affiliation) - OPPOSE

Senate Bill 216: Campaign Finance (Bans state agencies from using state money to advocate for or against any matter that is the subject of a constitutional amendment or revision, etc.) - SUPPORT

Senate Bill 72: Use of Campaign Funds for Child Care Expenses (Allows a candidate’s campaign funds to be used to pay for campaign-related childcare expenses) - SUPPORT

House Bill 637: Term limits for state representatives and state senators (Amendment of State Constitution to revise term limits applicable to state representatives & state senators) - SUPPORT

Forward is committed to allowing candidates to formulate positions on all issues without adhering to a party platform or litmus tests.  We also are committed to improving the incentives that drive the integrity of elections and governance. Our Legislative Agenda, then, focuses on bills before the Florida Legislature that may enhance or detract from these incentives.  We will advocate for the support of or opposition to such bills. Individual Forwardists may hold a different view which, of course, we will respect.

***UPDATE*** This bill has been signed into law

The Florida Forward Party opposes this bill as it reduces voter rights and limits debate on issues important to Floridians by effectively eliminating citizen-sponsored amendments to the Florida Constitution. (We similarly oppose the Senate companion bill SB 7016).

In 2024, our ballots included two citizen-sponsored amendments to the Florida Constitution – one on recreational marijuana use and one on abortion rights. Both received more than 50% support from voters – obviously important issues for many people.  

Had HB 1205 been enacted prior to 2024, you likely would not have had the opportunity to vote on either of these ideas. It is challenging to get an amendment on the ballot, as it should be, within reason. This bill creates new obstacles, big and small and mostly cynical. It creates unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles that make compliance nearly impossible and dramatically increases fines for simple mistakes in an effort to intimidate sponsors. Specifically, the bill would:

• Create stiff fines for administrative errors, including $50,000 if signature collectors do not meet certain requirements
• Requiring a $1 million bond in anticipation of such fines indeed being levied
• Making registration for petition circulators cumbersome and expensive.
• Mandating the state to reach out to every person who signed a petition, which could prompt them to revoke their signature 

We encourage you to reach out to your Representative and Senator and ask them to oppose this bill. We also ask you to spread the word via your personal networks, social media communities, letters to the editor and the like. To make this easier, we are providing links to connect with your Representative and Senator and a variety of suggested ways to talk about this bill.

Not left, not right, Forward!

Find Your Legislator 

Find Your State Representative

Find Your State Senator

Suggested Comments for Legislators and Letters to the Editor

1. Please do not support HB1205. Our constitutional amendment process is not perfect, but it works. This bill is not reform, but decimation. Please fight to retain this right.
2. HB 1205 makes me angry. It is a transparent effort to silence many of our citizens and voters. Please do everything you can to stop this power-grab of a bill.
3. I enjoy competition, especially when it comes to ideas. Citizen-sponsored amendments to our Constitution allow ideas to compete - compete for our imaginations, for our hearts, for our analytical approval and ultimately for our vote. HB 1205, by effectively destroying this right, destroys the meritocracy that robust competition brings.
4. I just read an article about HB 1205. I could not believe how bad this bill seemed. So I Googled around and found it might be even worse than the article suggested. Please save our amendment process and STOP THIS BILL.   
5. What are the Governor and Legislature so afraid of? They are poised to smash our ability to identify changes to the state’s constitution that we voters want. HB 1205 makes it virtually impossible for a group of citizens to get an amendment onto the ballot. God forbid we lowly citizens have ideas the ruling class does not like. 
6. I am totally against HB 1205. The bill is not a reform but a demolition of citizen-led constitutional initiatives. Current qualification requirements and the 60% voter approval threshold are sufficient safeguards against abuse. We should encourage more ideas, richer debate and greater voter engagement. This bill does exactly the opposite and further empowers the political class.

Suggested Comments for Friends and Social Media Posts

The Florida Legislature is on the path to effectively eliminating citizen-sponsored amendments to the Florida Constitution. In recent years, citizen-sponsored amendments addressed recreational marijuana, abortion rights, homestead property tax exemptions, open primaries, the minimum wage and more. You likely favored some of these and not others, but for the most part these are important issues that the Legislature often addresses without listening to the public.

I reached out to my Representative and Senator and told them I am against HB 1205. Please do the same, and spread the word! We need to fight to hang on to this important right.

Forward is committed to allowing candidates to formulate positions on all issues without adhering to a party platform or litmus tests.  We also are committed to improving the incentives that drive the integrity of elections and governance. Our Legislative Agenda, then, focuses on bills before the Florida Legislature that may enhance or detract from these incentives.  We will advocate for the support of or opposition to such bills. Individual Forwardists may hold a different view which, of course, we will respect.

The Florida Forward Party opposes SB 208 as this bill would erase the votes of Floridians and replace them with votes from other states. In electing the president, no matter whom we voted for, our votes would be converted to match the national popular vote. Thus, the bill makes voters in the country’s largest population centers – which excludes most Floridians – supreme and strengthens the national Democrat-Republican duopoly.

Think about it: under this bill, if no one in Florida voted in a presidential election, the state would still officially support, through our Electoral College votes, whomever won the national popular vote. Whether we voted or not would not make a difference!

Had this bill been widely adopted in 2016, Hilary Clinton would have been elected President. You may have liked or disliked that outcome, but why she would have won is troubling. The answer is … California. Mrs. Clinton won the California popular vote by more than 4 million votes but lost everywhere else by about 1.5 million votes. Her national popular vote victory was really a California Democrat machine victory.

This math reveals the problems with SB 208. Under this bill, presidential campaigns would focus on large cities and states and their major-party political machines to drive voters to the polls. The incentives would be to pay attention to people in highly-populated areas who support a candidate. Forward Party voters, independent voters, and small community voters would just not matter – during or after elections.

There are better ways to improve the dynamics of the Electoral College. One example would be to have half of Florida’s 30 electoral votes awarded to our popular vote winner and the other half awarded in proportion to the popular vote outcome. Thus, there would be a premium for winning yet more than one presidential candidate could win electoral votes in Florida. The duopoly prefers the “winner-take-all” approach as it allows them to ignore large swathes of the country. This alternative approach – just one of many better options – would create incentives for campaigns to vie for voters throughout Florida.

Not left, not right, Forward!

Find Your Legislator 

Find Your State Representative

Find Your State Senator

Suggested Comments for Legislators and Letters to the Editor

1. Stop SB 208! I don’t want my vote ignored because people in Los Angeles or New York or Chicago or Dallas vote a certain way.  Florida needs its own voice in presidential elections.
2. I am strongly against SB 208.  I want people running for president to come to my door to fight for my vote.  Every election.  This bill tells them and me that I don’t matter.
3. SB 208 drives me crazy. Why would we give away our right to elect the president we want to all the other states?  In Florida, we have our own priorities and preferences, and we should fight to be able to continue to reflect those when electing presidents.
4. Please do not support SB208. Amending the U.S. Constitution requires very broad support to be genuinely and sustainably accepted. This bill is nothing but a “hack,” a lazy backdoor approach, and totally disrespectful of the Constitution.
5. Is SB 208 for real? This crazy idea was definitely cooked up somewhere else. Let Florida be Florida.
6. Okay, the Electoral College is not perfect, but SB 208 makes things worse. We want more competition for our votes, not less. I thought reform was supposed to make things better. SB 208 is a loser.

Suggested Comments for Friends and Social Media Posts

Given how crazy presidential elections have been, many people just want to forget about them for a while. But the Legislature is considering a bill that would take way our rights in future presidential elections, so we need to push back now.

Senate Bill 208 would require that all 30 of Florida’s Electoral College votes be given to whomever wins the national popular vote, not to the person we Floridians want to elect. Let Vermont or Illinois or California do what they want, but I want my vote to count.

I reached out to my state Representative and Senator told them I am against SB 208. Please do the same. And spread the word! We deserve our own voice in electing presidents.

Forward is committed to allowing candidates to formulate positions on all issues without adhering to a party platform or litmus tests.  We also are committed to improving the incentives that drive the integrity of elections and governance. Our Legislative Agenda, then, focuses on bills before the Florida Legislature that may enhance or detract from these incentives.  We will advocate for the support of or opposition to such bills. Individual Forwardists may hold a different view which, of course, we will respect.

The Florida Forward Party supports bill SJR 802, which would result in a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution to set term limits for county commissioners and school board members. If adopted by the Legislature, the proposed amendment would be submitted to voters for approval or rejection during the November 2026 general election.

Public service, including roles on county commissions and school boards, is to be commended. Membership experience and continuity on such entities can enhance their functioning and the services they perform. Still, term limits facilitate the injection of new voices and fresh ideas. These, in turn, help school boards and county commissions remain sensitive to evolving community needs and perspectives. Term limits also prevent “lifers” from using the power of incumbency to monopolize seats. The proposed limits of eight consecutive years of service strike a reasonable balance.

We benefit from term limits in many areas of government. The SJB 802 proposed term limits for school boards exist in statute; this bill simply codifies them in the Florida Constitution, but the limits for county commissions would be new. We believe passage of this bill would enhance the health of our local governance.

Not left, not right, Forward!

Find Your Legislator 

Find Your State Representative

Find Your State Senator

Suggested Comments for Legislators and Letters to the Editor

1. Term limits are a good idea in general. That’s why I support SJR 802. Eight straight years for school boards and country commissions is plenty.
2. In my experience, getting new people on our boards and commissions brings new ideas. I have seen too many political soap operas starring incumbents who view a seat as “theirs” and get indignant if anyone dares disagree with that. Vote “Yes” on SJR 802.    
3. Sadly, some people just don’t know when to let go. That’s why term limits are needed. Please support SJR 802.
4. Most public offices are not meant to be filled by one person for very long. SJR will help make sure we have a healthy rotation of people on our boards and commissions.

Suggested Comments for Friends and Social Media Posts

Term limits are not perfect, but in general they work. We get new choices more frequently. SJR 802 will help set 8-year term limits for school boards and county commissions. That feels like a good balance to me. 

I reached out to my Representative and Senator told them I am for SJB 802. Please do the same. And spread the word! Better incentives in government will give us better government.

Forward is committed to allowing candidates to formulate positions on all issues without adhering to a party platform or litmus tests.  We also are committed to improving the incentives that drive the integrity of elections and governance. Our Legislative Agenda, then, focuses on bills before the Florida Legislature that may enhance or detract from these incentives.  We will advocate for the support of or opposition to such bills. Individual Forwardists may hold a different view which, of course, we will respect.

The Florida Forward Party supports SB 588, which will discourage politicians and their teams from sending us unwanted texts and calls once we have told them to stop. Under the bill, candidates or campaigns that ignore “opt outs” pay expenses a person incurs to force the offenders to stop.

The Forward Party is all for voter outreach in many forms – we use text and email messaging regularly. Still, bombarding people with unwanted “junk” texts and calls repels many people from what should be healthy political dialog. Once someone opts out, that must be respected. We need more tools – like this bill – to ensure our reasonable preferences are adhered to. 

Not left, not right, Forward!

Find Your Legislator 

Find Your State Representative

Find Your State Senator

Suggested Comments for Legislators and Letters to the Editor

1. Please support SB 588. Whatever we can do to reduce the garbage texts and calls I receive, the better. Thank you.
2. Anyone with a smartphone knows the irritation of unending, unwanted texts from politicians, many of whom I have never heard of. SB 588 may not go far enough, but it is better than nothing.
3. Returning some civility to our political dialog would be nice. We can start by ending the disrespect inherent in text bombardments from politicians. SB 588 can only help.
4. The only reason someone would be against SB 588 is if they take a percentage of the money raised by those aggravating texts! Pass SB 588! Pass SB 588!
5. I have stopped giving money to politicians because it triggers a blizzard of texts and emails from all of their buddies asking for money. SB 588 won’t end the pain, but it will make me feel a little better.

Suggested Comments for Friends and Social Media Posts

We all know how irritating it is to get dozens (hundreds?) of texts from politicians asking for money. The good news is that the Legislature is considering a bill that might make things a little better.  

Senate Bill 588 would subject candidates and campaigns that ignore an “opt out” request to pay legal fees when they get sued to stop. If I had my druthers, it would cost them more than that, but this is a good start.

I reached out to my state Representative and Senator told them I am for SB 588. Please do the same.  And spread the word!