Fight intensifies over Florida ballot measure that would guarantee abortion rights

In conscionable 1 week, voters successful Florida will caput to nan polls to determine whether to enshrine abortion rights successful nan Florida constitution, done a ballot measurement that Gov. Ron DeSantis and his management person spent months fighting successful nan courts.

If passed, Amendment 4 -- officially titled "The Amendment to Limit Government Interference pinch Abortion" -- would artifact immoderate rule from restricting an abortion earlier fetal viability, which is typically astir 24 weeks, according to experts. The amendment would repeal nan state's existent six-week abortion prohibition that was signed into rule aft Roe v. Wade was overturned successful 2022.

Florida is 1 of 10 states that will person reproductive rights-related questions connected nan ballot, aft nan overturning of Roe v. Wade near nan rumor up to nan states.

A caller New York Times/Siena College canvass recovered that 46% of those Floridians polled support nan measure, while 38% are against it, pinch 16% refusing to reply aliases saying they don't know. To walk connected Nov. 5, nan ballot measurement will require nan approval of 60% of those casting votes.

The politician and his friends person been waging an aggravated run against nan ballot initiative.

"When you're dealing pinch law amendments, your default should ever beryllium no," DeSantis said astatine a property convention past week, wherever he was joined by a twelve doctors. "You tin ever change normal policies and legislation. Once it's successful nan constitution, that's forever. You really person zero chance of ever changing it."

Earlier this month, nan Florida Department of Health sent letters to tv stations crossed nan authorities -- including ABC-affiliated stations -- asking them not to aerial an advertisement supporting nan ballot inaugural and threatening criminal charges against broadcasters that did not comply. The advertisement featured a Florida mother describing really she was diagnosed pinch encephalon crab 2 years ago, erstwhile she was 20 weeks pregnant.

"Yes On 4!" run materials connected ending Florida's strict abortion prohibition are seen arsenic volunteers hole to manus them retired successful Orlando, Florida, connected October 6, 2024.

Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images

"The doctors knew that if I did not extremity my pregnancy, I would suffer my baby, I would suffer my life, and my girl would suffer her mom," Florida resident Caroline Williams said successful nan ad, saying that she believes she would beryllium dormant if she had been diagnosed nether nan sate's existent six-week abortion ban, which went into effect earlier this year.

After Floridians Protecting Freedom, nan group down nan ballot initiative, sued nan authorities for threatening "criminal proceedings" against nan broadcast stations, a national judge issued a restraining bid against Florida's surgeon general, prohibiting nan Department of Health from threatening nan stations.

"To support it elemental for nan State of Florida: it's nan First Amendment, stupid," U.S. District Judge Mark Walker wrote successful nan ruling.

John Wilson, nan Department of Health lawyer who signed nan letters to nan tv stations, resigned 2 weeks ago, stating successful a signed affidavit that attorneys for DeSantis wrote nan letters and directed him to nonstop them nether his name.

"I resigned from my position arsenic General Counsel successful lieu of complying pinch directives ... to nonstop retired further correspondence to nan media outlets," Wilson said successful nan affidavit. "The correct of broadcasters to speak freely is rooted successful nan First Amendment. Threats against broadcast stations for airing contented that conflicts pinch nan government's views are vulnerable and undermine nan basal rule of free speech."

Critics of DeSantis opportunity nan missive threatening broadcasters whitethorn not person been his administration's only effort astatine intimidation.

Last month, 2 Florida residents reported that rule enforcement from nan Office of Election Crimes & Security, a portion created by DeSantis successful 2022, knocked connected their doors and asked them astir petitions they had signed to get nan amendment connected nan November ballot, nan Miami Herald reported.

"I had so signed a petition seeking to person nan correct to an abortion placed connected nan ballot successful Florida," Isaac Menasche, 1 of nan residents, said successful a Facebook post. "The acquisition near maine shaken. What troubled maine was [the officer] had a files connected maine containing my individual information."

DeSantis defended nan actions by nan Election Crimes unit, saying astatine a property convention past period that location were "a batch of complaints" astir 1 group that was supporting Amendment 4.

"They're doing what they're expected to do," DeSantis said of nan Elections Crimes unit. "They're pursuing nan law."

The Election Crimes portion besides released a study past period alleging that Floridians Protecting Freedom committed petition fraud to scope nan 891,523 signatures needed to spot nan amendment connected nan ballot. The group has denied immoderate wrongdoing.

"These lawsuits, coming connected nan heels of nan State of Florida's latest effort to undermine Floridians' correct to ballot connected Amendment 4, are desperate," said Lauren Brenzel, head of nan "Yes connected 4" run supporting nan amendment. "Ask yourself, why is this happening now -- complete half a twelvemonth aft complete 997,000 petitions were verified by nan authorities of Florida and pinch little than a period until nan predetermination -- that these anti-abortion extremists want to relitigate nan petition-collection process?"

"It's because our run is winning and nan authorities and its extremist friends are trying to do everything they tin to extremity Floridians from having nan authorities they deserve," Brenzel said.