Florida Decides Healthcare — a political committee composed of healthcare advocates, nonprofit organizations and the Florida Public Services Union — is planning to seek Medicaid expansion through constitutional amendment vote in the 2024 general election, according to the report. Jake Flaherty, the group’s campaign manager, called the South Dakota result “encouraging.”
A tougher road lies ahead in Florida than South Dakota, however. Constitutional amendments must be passed by 60 percent of voters, not a simple majority as required in South Dakota, according to the report. Getting the issue on the ballot is also challenging, as petitioners must gather signatures equal to 8 percent of votes cast in the last general election, with a percentage of those spread across at least 14 of Florida’s 28 congressional districts.
The group would have to collect about 890,000 signatures, likely requiring paying firms to gather petitions, according to the report.
About 900,000 Floridians would become eligible for Medicaid under expansion, according to the report. That represents about 4 percent of the state’s population.
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