Abortion rights supporters hit with ‘significant setback’ on ballot wording debate

The abortion rights initiative campaign lost its legal fight to appeal the “financial impact statement” that a state panel approved to go on the ballot under the Amendment 4 proposal this Fall.

“The First District Court of Appeal delivered a blow to democracy by refusing to decide whether courts can review the validity of financial impact statements,” the Yes on 4 campaign said in a press release. “This is a significant setback for Florida voters who deserve transparent, accurate, and lawful information before casting their ballots this November.”

A state panel with economists turned into political fireworks with a representative from Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Heritage Foundation staffer pushing for a revised 150-word impact statement to be added to the ballot.

The group reached a 3-1 consensus last week with a 150-word statement that read, “The proposed amendment would result in significantly more abortions and fewer live births per year in Florida. The increase in abortions could be even greater if the amendment invalidates laws requiring parental consent before minors undergo abortions and those ensuring only licensed physicians perform abortions.”

The statement also warns about uncertainty over the state being required to fund abortions with public money which could cost Florida in litigation costs.

The Amendment 4 campaign argued the Financial Impact Estimating Conference, which was supposed to determine Amendment 4’s impact on the state budget, was now political and playing dirty tricks to convince voters not to support it.

“This move throws a wrench in the democratic process and keeps voters from getting the straight facts they need. Allowing this dodgy financial impact statement to stand only erodes trust in our electoral system,” said Lauren Brenzel, Yes on 4’s Campaign Director.

Meanwhile, the Vote No on Florida opposition campaign backed the new financial impact statement. The group previously said the financial impact statement is “clear and accurately reflects the potential consequences of Amendment 4, including the risk of endless legal battles.”

Currently, Florida bans abortions after six weeks.

Amendment 4 seeks to protect abortion rights in the state constitution and requires at least 60% of the vote to pass.