Dara Kam - News Service of Florida

After spending more than $70 million and wrangling in court for months, backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would open the door to Las Vegas-style casinos in North Florida have dropped an effort to place the measure on the 2022 ballot.

The decision came in a lawsuit challenging a 2021 law that imposed new restrictions on mail-in voting and third-party voter registration organizations.

The fight over the proposed constitutional amendment has turned into a throw-down between Las Vegas Sands Corp. and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, along with people, businesses and other entities aligned with the gambling behemoths.

Delivering on one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top legislative priorities, the Florida House on Wednesday passed an immigration bill targeting transportation companies that bring undocumented immigrants into the state and expanding a 2019 law that sought to ban so-called “sanctuary cities.”

The lawsuit out of St. Johns County has drawn attention from dozens of the nation’s largest corporations, 70 anti-sexual assault and domestic violence organizations, myriad LGBT advocacy groups and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at allowing casinos in North Florida have dropped a lawsuit involving the Seminole Tribe, one day before the group's deadline to get the issue on the ballot.

The school board in Putnam County is the lead plaintiff in a suit accusing consultant McKinsey & Co. of harming children and increasing educational costs. The legal team includes attorney Wayne Hogan of Jacksonville.

A political committee behind a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow casino gambling in North Florida on Saturday dropped an emergency effort to block entities linked to the Seminole Tribe from interfering with signature gatherers.

Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. is pushing an initiative that would allow voters to decide whether parimutuel operators in North Florida can add casino games to their operations. The political committee behind the proposal claims the Seminoles are trying to sabotage petition gathering.

The lawsuit comes despite the university reversing course and allowing the professors to testify as experts in a case challenging a new elections law.