Group pushes for abortion to be on ballot in Florida in 2024
Jack Birle
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An abortion rights advocacy group is pushing for a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to abortion in the Florida constitution.
Floridians Protecting Freedom announced a citizens’ initiative on Monday to get a question regarding a right to abortion on the ballot in the Sunshine State in 2024.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD PLANNING ATTACK ON DESANTIS’S LANDMARK ABORTION LAW
“Florida’s recently passed six-week abortion ban goes against the will of Floridians across the political spectrum. For more than a decade, the people of Florida have made it clear in polling, and with their votes, that they don’t want the government intruding on their personal medical decisions. The ‘Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion’ will transfer power from politicians back into the hands of Floridians,” the group said in a press release.
The announcement comes days after Planned Parenthood confirmed it would seek a ballot initiative in Florida after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed a law banning abortion after six weeks, with exceptions in instances of the woman being a victim of rape, incest, or human trafficking, or if the life of the mother is in danger.
“Over the last two years, we’ve experienced unprecedented attacks on our reproductive freedoms. This ballot initiative is a crucial step in returning power to the people of Florida and guaranteeing that we have the right to control our own medical decisions and our own futures,” Stephanie Fraim, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, said in a statement.
“The 15-week abortion ban already caused immeasurable harm, and every day we see the devastating consequences of these shameful laws. Despite that, our extremist Legislature has doubled down on their cruelty with the recent six-week ban. We know how unpopular these new laws are, and the voters are going to make our voices heard through this ballot initiative. Families in Florida are ready to say ‘enough.’”
The citizens’ initiative will need to receive the number of signatures equal to that of 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election, which is equal to more than 885,000 people. To be amended to the constitution, the ballot initiative will need to receive at least 60% approval by the voters.
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The new push for an amendment to the state’s constitution comes as Florida’s 15-week abortion ban is currently slated to be challenged in the state Supreme Court. The challenge to this 2022 law could also affect the 2023 law, which banned abortions after six weeks with exceptions.
The state Supreme Court has a conservative majority, with four of the six judges on the court being appointed by DeSantis, meaning the law looks more likely than not to be upheld.