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Marijuana petition group calls Florida ruling ‘premature’

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Marijuana petition group calls Florida ruling ‘premature’



Smart and Safe Florida was looking to get an adult-use recreational marijuana amendment on the 2026 ballot.

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  • A petition group aiming to get recreational marijuana on Florida’s 2026 ballot says the state’s announcement of its failure is premature.
  • The group, Smart and Safe Florida, believes it will meet the signature requirement once all submitted petitions are counted.
  • Florida’s Secretary of State announced that the group failed to meet the nearly 881,000 verified signature threshold by the February 1 deadline.

A petition group pushing to get recreational marijuana on Florida’s 2026 November statewide ballot is saying the state’s announcement of its failure to gather enough signatures is “premature.”

Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced Feb. 1 that all 22 citizen-led proposed amendments to the state’s constitution failed to meet Florida law’s signature requirements.

Smart and Safe Florida, the group behind adult-use recreational pot, pushed back.

“We believe the declaration by the Secretary of State is premature, as the final and complete county by county totals for validated petitions are not yet reported,” a spokesperson for Smart and Safe Florida said. “We submitted over 1.4 million signatures and believe, when they are all counted, we will have more than enough to make the ballot.”

The group needed to have met 880,062 signatures by Feb. 1, but the Florida Division of Elections website only listed 783,592 verified signatures. For months, the number was slowly trickling upward, since the group had more than 662,000 verified in November.

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The pot group faced several challenges while seeking to get its petition on the ballot, all stemming from a law the governor approved last year (HB 1205). It brought stricter penalties and deadlines for petition groups, and with it came increased costs to verify petitions by supervisors of elections, effectively making it more costly to gather signatures.

The law is currently being challenged in federal court by a number of petition groups, including Smart and Safe Florida, saying it restricts core political speech. A trial begins Feb. 9.

The law went into effect July 1; a federal judge agreed one provision restricting nonresidents and noncitizens from volunteering from gathering signatures would “impose a severe burden on political expression.”

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U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled that state officials couldn’t enforce that part, but a divided appeals court promptly upheld the law, disagreeing with arguments of free speech violations.

But that’s just one hurdle.

Smart and Safe Florida also was entangled in another lawsuit alleging that Byrd violated state-required procedures and was blocking the group’s ballot measure. They also filed against Byrd on a separate issue, accusing him of seeking to invalidate 200,000 petitions without legal basis, but a circuit judge sided with him.

The DeSantis administration had continually lambasted the marijuana proposal when it was on the ballot in the 2024 elections. He held events condemning the ballot measure and contended that Florida lawmakers wouldn’t be able to set guidelines on marijuana use after it passes.

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More recently, Florida’s attorney general escalated its fight against the recreational pot campaign, by accusing Smart and Safe Florida of submitting fraudulent petitions and failing to inform law enforcement. The group countered, saying they complied with state law and reported any suspicions to the Secretary of State’s office.

Attorney General James Uthmeier reacted tongue-in-cheek on social media shortly after Byrd’s announcement, posting a GIF that looked like the opening of a Looney Tunes cartoon, but instead saying, “You hate to see it!”

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat. 



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‘All over’: Florida mental health counselor finds 50 bats inside her office

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‘All over’: Florida mental health counselor finds 50 bats inside her office


SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)— A Florida mental health counselor walked into a surprising number of bats inside her office last week.

“We had about 50 bats. In the toilet, in the sink. All over,” Shaltala Boss, a licensed mental health counselor, said.

Boss has since moved her office due to maternity season, when it is illegal to exclude or remove bats from April 16 to August 14, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Credit: Shantala Boss

“Any form of eviction during this time period will result in baby bats being trapped along with adult bats that may not have emerged. Trapped bats will attempt to escape and may end up in the living space of buildings,” FWC said.

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Video provided by Boss showed a bat lying on the ground.

“You definitely didn’t want to come to counseling that day,” Boss said.

Boss has since moved to another location and said it is bat-free.

“Most bats will avoid humans at all costs and use natural roosting structures for shelter during the day. However, bats sometimes find their way into our homes and structures, which can present a health hazard,” FWC said.

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Byron Donalds’ chances of winning Florida governor’s seat, new poll shows

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Byron Donalds’ chances of winning Florida governor’s seat, new poll shows


Republican Congressman Byron Donalds is trailing Democratic candidate David Jolly in the race to become Florida’s next governor, according to a new poll from Change Research, a Democratic-aligned polling firm.

The survey could be an encouraging sign for Florida Democrats, who have not won a statewide election since 2018 and have struggled as the state shifted steadily toward Republicans in recent election cycles.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection in 2026, won a second term by nearly 20 percentage points in 2022, while Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage and maintained control of every statewide elected office.

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Still, some recent polling has suggested the push to replace DeSantis could be a bit more competitive than many have expected.

President Donald Trump last month again vocalized his support for Donalds, saying in part, “I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER!” The president added, “Byron Donalds will be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

Trump won the Sunshine State by 13 points in 2024 against then-Vice President Kamala Harris and no Democrat has won the Florida governorship in more than 20 years.

When reached for comment regarding the new poll, Donalds’ campaign referred Newsweek to the X post of Gates McGavick, the team’s communications director. McGavick said in reaction to the poll, “I hear Change Research also sells tremendous ocean front property in Arizona.”

The campaign also referred Newsweek to Ryan Smith’s post on X, while saying he is also affiliated with the campaign. Smith said, “This is a push poll by Democrats for Democrats. The truth is, Florida Democrats will be crying in their kombucha on November 3 when @ByronDonalds is elected governor.”

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What To Know

The Change Research survey found Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties and entered the race as a Democrat, leading Donalds in a hypothetical general-election matchup.

Jolly has centered his campaign on affordability issues surrounding insurance costs, housing and healthcare, while Donalds has campaigned as a conservative successor who will attempt to enact Trump’s agenda and fight illegal immigration.

According to the poll, Jolly leads Donalds 47 percent to 42 percent and has a slightly larger margin among likely voters with 49 percent compared to 43 percent.

The poll surveyed 1,273 registered voters of which 1,015 said they will likely vote in the 2026 midterm election. The survey’s margin of error is 2.8 percent.

Also in the poll, Jolly garners 94 percent support from Democrats compared to Donalds’ 77 percent among Republicans.

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What Other Polls Show

Another recent Change Research poll shows Jolly leading Donalds 46 percent to 42 percent. The poll was taken from May 13 to May 16 among 2,070 registered voters, of whom 1,593 say they will likely vote in the midterm election. The poll has a margin of error of 2.3 percent.

In a survey at the end of March by Emerson College Polling, Donalds landed 44 percent of the vote compared to Jolly’s 39 percent. The poll shows that 17 percent are undecided. It was taken from March 29 to March 31 among 1,125 likely voters and has a margin of error of 2.8 percent.



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‘You’ll get capped:’ New viral challenge could get teens shot in Florida, sheriff warns

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‘You’ll get capped:’ New viral challenge could get teens shot in Florida, sheriff warns


FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A recent viral trend — dubbed the “Door Kick Challenge” — has been causing issues as of late in Central Florida.

The challenge involves teens covering their faces, kicking or pounding stranger’s front door when it’s dark outside, and sprinting off into the night.

[WATCH: FCSO releases footage of ‘Door Kick Challenge’ in action]

But on Wednesday, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly warned there could be deadly consequences.

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According to the sheriff’s office, these pranks may come across as an attempted home invasion for some, and with Florida being a “Stand Your Ground” state, neighbors have the right to treat it as such.

[ Central Florida deputy consoles 12-year-old accused in door-kicking incident]

“Parents, keep an eye on your children. We know they want to have fun, but they are taking huge risks when they mask up and kick strangers’ doors,” Staly said. “Be the sheriff of your own home, talk to your kids, know their friends, and make sure they know the risks associated with doing what the internet tells them to do.”

But in a release, the sheriff’s office delivered the message in a “language” that teens may better understand:

“This door kick ‘challenge’ is not the side quest you think it is.

It’s trendslop, pure brain rot straight off the FYP. You think you’re the alpha chad of the cul-de-sac? Nah bruh, you’re one hoodie masked-up sprint away from priors. The kind of rap that gets you cancelled before you ever stack any clout. Zero drip in our jail’s barbershop-looking mugshots.

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Okay, real talk. Florida is a Stand Your Ground state. A NPC wakes up to two randos kicking their door at 1 a.m. wearing sheisties — they don’t see a flex, they get the ick, and think your side quest is a home invasion. And no cap, you’ll get capped.

Taking an L on TikTok? Recoverable. Taking a round to the chest? There’s no respawn.

So skip this one, chief. Find clout elsewhere.”

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office

Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.



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