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Ron DeSantis was elected as Florida governor in 2018, and almost immediately, he set out to make a statement about how campaigns should be funded. He proposed a series of changes to the state’s campaign finance laws and pushed to institute a system of public financing for campaigns.
These changes would have prevented special interest groups from using the private donations to influence elections. However, DeSantis’ proposals were met with strong opposition from both Republicans and Democrats. Republicans argued the proposal was unconstitutional and would make it more difficult for candidates to raise money. Democrats, on the other hand, argued that the changes did not go far enough in combating the influence of wealthy special interests in elections.
The fight quickly spilled into the courts. In 2019, a federal judge struck down part of the financing system DeSantis had proposed, arguing that it likely violated the First Amendment. This ruling was appealed and the case is now awaiting an opinion from the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In the meantime, state lawmakers have proposed their own set of changes to campaign finance laws. This proposal, which is currently making its way through the legislature, would limit contributions to $2,000, close loopholes that allow entities to donate large sums of money to campaigns, and make it easier to trace the source of money that is contributing to campaigns.
As the debate over campaign finance in Florida continues, DeSantis’ continued push to reform the system serves as a reminder of both the difficulty and importance of reforming money in politics.