On June 11, the Florida Supreme Court agreed to expedite its decision in Florida Hometown Democracy v Browning. The case had been argued in January 2009. The issue is the constitutionality of a 2007 law that makes it possible for voters to delete their signatures after they have signed an initiative petition. The State Court of Appeals had ruled that the law violates the State Constitution, which gives the legislature the authority to pass laws to help implement the initiative process. The State Court of Appeals had said that means the legislature doesn’t have the authority to pass laws that hinder the initiative process.

Florida Hometown Democracy has been working for four years to collect enough signatures to qualify its initiative, which would require a popular vote in a locality before a new housing development can be approved. Florida law requires initiative petitions to be completed within 4 years. The 4 years runs out on June 22, 2009.