The Florida Supreme Court ruled Monday that a state constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 4, which aims to limit government intervention in abortion procedures, meets the necessary requirements to appear on the ballots this November.
The initiative was introduced by Floridians Protecting Freedoms, a campaign advocating for the freedom of Floridians to make personal medical decisions without government intrusion
Amendment 4 seeks to allow abortions before viability while still requiring parents to be notified if a minor has an abortion.
Read: Florida Supreme Court Approves Recreational Marijuana Ballot Amendment
It states, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion”.
To pass, Amendment 4 will require 60% support from voters during the upcoming November elections.
In addition to the ballot initiative ruling, the Florida Supreme Court also upheld the state’s 15-week abortion ban.
This ban prohibits abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, with exceptions for cases involving the life or health of the mother. The court’s decision to affirm this ban has drawn both support and criticism from various groups.
Proponents of the 15-week abortion ban argue that it protects the lives of unborn children and ensures that women have ample time to make decisions about their pregnancies.
On the other hand, critics view the ban as an infringement on a woman’s right to choose and argue that it disregards the complex and personal nature of reproductive healthcare decisions.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody had opposed the proposed amendment, particularly taking issue with the term “viability” used in the ballot initiative.
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis Suspends Regina Hill As Orlando City Commissioner
According to Moody, there is no universally recognized clinical definition of viability. However, lawyers representing Floridians Protecting Freedoms argued that the term is not ambiguous and that voters understand its meaning in the context of abortion.
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power issued a statement following the ruling saying, “We are very disappointed that a deceptively worded pro-abortion amendment is allowed to appear on Florida’s ballot in November. If passed, it will allow abortions up to 6 months of pregnancy and, thanks to a loophole, even to point of birth. Florida will become the most pro-abortion state in the southern U.S. That is NOT what Florida wants, and the Republican Party of Florida will fight to inform voters on the dangers of this amendment.”
“It is of no surprise that Nikki Fried and the Florida Democrats will be celebrating this radical pro-abortion amendment on the ballot because their extreme agenda knows no bounds. FL Dem Chair Fried was even afraid to truthfully answer the simple question of whether a man could get an abortion. Florida voters know better and they will reject the radical agenda being pushed by FL Dems this November,” Power concluded.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.