Abortion rights advocates look to Florida schools to rally support for Amendment 4

UF was named a "New Ivie" by Forbes.

Reproductive rights advocates are setting up tents on college quads across Florida to build momentum for November’s election as college students return to classes this Fall.

It’s part of a mobilizing effort targeting 24 schools, from major institutions like University of Florida and Florida State University to smaller schools.

“The youth vote is fundamental to our victory in November because young people are some of the most directly impacted by Florida’s abortion ban,” said Natasha Sutherland, spokesperson for Floridians Protecting Freedom, which is sponsoring Amendment 4 to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

Florida’s six-week abortion ban went into effect in May, and some young people don’t know it exists, Sutherland said.

Part of the group’s efforts to build support is giving information on the ban and Amendment 4 during Welcome Week and then meeting with campus groups over the ongoing weeks and months. Finally, the campaign will follow up with voter pledges.

“We’re going to be doing presentations with student groups all over the state to educate them, No. 1, on the fact that there is a near total abortion ban in Florida, because a lot of folks just don’t know that until they need care,” Sutherland said. “But No. 2, for them to also understand what Amendment 4 is.”

Sutherland acknowledged the campaign is expecting a “razor-thin” margin to get at least 60% of the vote to pass.

“I believe we can do it, but it’s going to take having these events and conversations in order for us to get there,” she said Friday.

One poll showed Amendment 4 is projected to fail, while another showed support could measure closer to 69%. What’s clear in both polls is that a large number of voters are still undecided.

The campaign is also facing headwinds from opposition as Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republicans in power and the Catholic church fight against it. 

The latest obstacle for the Amendment 4 campaign: a financial impact statement that will be printed on ballots under the initiative’s wording.

A state panel with Florida’s top economist became a partisan fight when a DeSantis representative and a staff member from the Heritage Foundation led the efforts to craft the new financial impact statement.

The statement says, in part: “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. There is also uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds. Litigation to resolve those and other uncertainties will result in additional costs to the state government.”

Amendment 4 complained that the statement is deliberately misleading voters and is a dirty political trick.