Gabrielle Russon
Gov. Ron DeSantis and state officials have tried to quash abortion rights nearly every step of the way and blurred the lines by using their official power to fight against the citizen-led Amendment 4 ballot initiative.
Amendment 4, which seeks to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, will be decided in Tuesday’s election. The ballot initiative comes after Florida lawmakers passed an abortion ban at six weeks for most pregnancies that went into effect in May.
DeSantis’ anti-abortion rights supporters praise him for doing everything he can to fight for unborn children.
“He has exhausted all possible resources to stop the amendment, but the opposition has been brutally defiant. It reminds me of the story of David and Goliath. Governor, you are the David of the story,” said Dr. Ana Verdeja-Perez, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Plant City, at a rally next to DeSantis.
DeSantis’ critics say what he is doing is illegal and call the state’s fight using taxpayer resources unprecedented. The Governor is trying to distract from Florida’s existing extreme abortion ban, they argue.
“The government cannot silence the truth about Florida’s extreme abortion ban. It’s a deadly ban that puts women’s lives at risk,” Lauren Brenzel, Campaign Director of Yes on 4, adding “Floridians will not back down in the face of government intimidation.”
Amendment 4 began when a grassroots effort collected signatures to get the initiative restoring abortion rights on the ballot.
The Florida Supreme Court voted 4-3 to allow the issue to go before voters. Justices Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso, who were against putting it on the ballot, are also up for re-election in Tuesday’s election.
Then this Summer, a normally boring state panel turned political drama after a DeSantis representative and a Heritage Foundation staffer were added into the group to weigh the financial impact of Amendment 4. Revolting against the state’s top economist, the group ruled a “financial impact statement” must appear on the ballot to warn voters about litigation costs and more.
Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF), the political group backing Amendment 4, called it dirty political tricks meant to persuade voters to reject the initiative. However, FPF was unsuccessful in challenging the financial impact statement — a common occurrence, with most of its lawsuits or legal challenges failing to check Republican power.
DeSantis later accused Amendment 4 of petition fraud, and reports emerged of election police knocking on doors to investigate those claims. Democrats called it a witch hunt and argued the petitions had been verified by counties’ Supervisor of Elections.
The state issued a 350-page report that said FPF illegally paid petition circulators based on the number of signatures they collected.
The state report was the basis for pro-life advocates to sue in Orange Circuit County to challenge Tuesday’s election results before the votes had been counted. Representing the plaintiffs are former Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson.
The state also mounted its own public campaign against Amendment 4.
An Agency for Health Care Administration website warned voters that Amendment 4 was dangerous to women and children. A Leon Circuit Court Judge allowed the website to remain up after FPF sued.
About one month from the election, the Department of Health (DOH) sent cease and desist letters to TV stations threatening them with criminal prosecution if they played an abortion rights commercial featuring Caroline. One CBS station, WINK-TV in Fort Myers, took down the ads for five days.
The DOH lawyer who signed the cease and desist letters resigned from his post and said they had been written by DeSantis’ attorneys.
A federal Judge ordered the state to stop threatening the media with criminal prosecution and issued a temporary restraining order that has been extended to Nov. 12, after the election.
Meanwhile, DeSantis is spending the final days before Election Day traveling the state with Physicians Against Amendment 4, religious leaders, and even former NFL coach Tony Dungy to urge voters to reject Amendment 4. DeSantis is also threatening doctors who speak out against the state’s abortion ban, saying they should be sued for medical malpractice.
In what’s become an all-out war, FPF has raised more than $110 million, and polls show Amendment 4 is near or at the 60% majority to pass. But the large number of undecided voters and the polls’ potential error mean Tuesday is going to be a tight race.
17 comments
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
November 3, 2024 at 2:50 pm
Good evening America,
Since abortion has already been turned over to the States the issue is not even a tenth as important tacked onto a Presidental election as the “DOOK 4 BRAINS LEFTYS” want you to think abortion is.
HOWEVER:
The “DOOK 4 BRAINS LEFTYS” dont have much to run on so let them have this fantisy as their One & Only Hope.
Thank you America,
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
Earl Spitts daughter
November 3, 2024 at 8:31 pm
My daddy Earl Spitts has sesual relations with me every night and now me pregnant and carry his baby. Doc says no to abortion says it illegal and lose license so me carry daddy baby. Me have no voice but DeSantis and Trump are my protector and savior. Thank you daddy earl, DeSantis and Trump for protecting me
YEW OWEME
November 3, 2024 at 8:39 pm
EARL SHITTS’ DAUGHTER, i feel sorry for you girl. if it wasn’t for the maga government of desantis, you could go to the authorities and they would help you press charges on earl the sphincter freak. but since florida hates women you’re screwed.
Justhefacts
November 4, 2024 at 8:24 am
You are wrong Earl. Defending innocent human life is important and the job of the citizens of a moral nation.The Founding Fathers understood that our Rights come from
God not the government. That among those unalienable Rights are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness Read Senator Rubio’s Op-Ed here.
https://floridianpress.com/2024/10/the-truth-about-amendment-4/
ScienceBLVR
November 3, 2024 at 2:53 pm
Governor, you are the David of the story,” ..
Neither Ron, nor the mythical David, possess a uterus.
Not your fight guys. Not the will of the majority of people in this state, either. If women show up this election, we will win..
Rita Joseph
November 3, 2024 at 3:04 pm
Abortion is :extreme” behavior. Deliberate harming of little daughters and sons while in their mothers wombs is indefensible.
Human rights protection from unprovoked lethal violence may not be scaled according to size or status or “wantedness.”
Ballots can’t change our moral obligations. No ballot results can set aside the US Constitution’s founding principle that forbids the deliberate killing of our fellow human beings.
YEW OWEME
November 3, 2024 at 8:42 pm
RITA, unless they are the mother, then let them die , right rita? you are deplorable. christians like you are weird.
Little1
November 4, 2024 at 8:11 am
Amen Rita. 🙏🏼✝️
Ocean Joe
November 3, 2024 at 4:13 pm
I’ve seen the Dr. who likens Desantis to David in a commercial claiming the amendment would eliminate the need for parental consent. It doesn’t.
Please, make your efforts to exercise your point of view, but stop lying about what is actually in the amendment.
When it’s all over, the wealthy will continue to put their teenage daughter or spouse on a jet to wherever it’s legal.
Justhefacts
November 4, 2024 at 8:15 am
Amendment 4 absolutely does eliminate Parental consent.
“Notification” can be done post abortion, it is not the same as permission. You have to have a parental consent to get your ears pierced in FL.
Joe
November 4, 2024 at 11:26 am
You are simply parroting Tiny D’s lies and propaganda.
Michael K
November 3, 2024 at 6:27 pm
You can never ban abortion.
You can only ban safe abortion.
Keep the state out of women’s personal health decisions – but if you insist, then let the state exercise similar control over men’s bodies.
The Blue Wave is Coming!
November 3, 2024 at 8:33 pm
This will be the end of Rhonda and the end of the republican super majority. The blue wave is coming! Don’t get crushed
cassandra was right
November 4, 2024 at 7:15 am
Earl, the right to abortion is about ‘personhood’ for over half of ‘We the People’. Not sure what you think could be more important.
It’s a slippery slope too Earl. Dobbs is what the government will use to infringe on all kinds of citizens’ rights.There is already a history of government forced sterilization and forced abortion in the US. And there is Tuskeegee. 1932-1972. Forty years of the government using people’s bodies. Horrifying. It’s no wonder 80% of Americans want the government out of abortion decisions.
Vote YES on 4!
LexT
November 4, 2024 at 9:20 am
There has been so much lying about this Amendment, especially by those who support it. I am disappointed in our judiciary for allowing the wording in this Amendment. Abortion is such a nuanced subject that it does not lend itself to enshrouding itself as a constitutional right. A constitutional right is supposed to be clear and absolute. The abortion issues are fraught with exceptions and nuance. Viability is a term that changes monthly. People are also so portable now that since it’s legal in other states, no one needs to spend much to go somewhere else where abortion is legal. This should not be an amendment, it should be legislation. Legislation can be long, detailed, and updated.
Joe
November 4, 2024 at 11:19 am
Suppressing free speech, threatening broadcasters with jail, using public money to oppose citizens’ initiatives: yes, Florida, this is just a preview of what American fascism looks like.
Cheesy Floridian
November 4, 2024 at 11:41 am
Vote yes on 4 for freedom! And vote yes on 4 to shove it in DeSantis’ face that is his a lying POS. And he knows it. Choice = freedom