LOADINGERROR LOADINGThe Florida Supreme Court approved a pro-choice amendment to appear on the state’s ballot in November in a Monday afternoon ruling. Floridians Protecting Freedom collected well over the amount of signatures required — more than 1 million — to get the proposal on the November ballot. Amendment 4, also titled “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion,” seeks to guarantee access to abortion care up to fetal viability, which is usually around 24 weeks. Advertisement
“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider,” the amendment states. The amendment clarifies that it would not change the state’s current law that requires parental consent for a minor to obtain an abortion.The highly anticipated ruling was seemingly delayed last week after the court’s regular Thursday opinion release time came and went. The court later announced it would release “out-of-calendar opinions” on Monday, which is the deadline for a decision on whether the abortion amendment, as well as one on recreational marijuana, will be on the ballot in November. The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the proposal in February and was tasked with approving the amendment language before it appears on the ballot in November. The step is normally more of a procedural one, but in an anti-choice state like Florida, which also has one of the most conservative Supreme Courts in the country, it was another critical hurdle for pro-choice advocates in the state. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) claimed that the amendment was misleading and alleged in briefs that the term “viability” is ambiguous. During arguments in February, Nathan Forrester, with the state attorney general’s office, argued that the ballot language was “understated to the point of deception,” adding that “voters won’t know what they’re voting for.” Advertisement
“The people of Florida aren’t stupid,” chief Justice Carlos Muñiz said in response to Forrester’s claim. “I mean, they can figure this out.” Florida currently has a 15-week abortion ban in effect, which was championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), an extreme abortion opponent. DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law last year, but it will not go into effect until the state Supreme Court rules on a challenge to the current 15-week restriction. The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the 15-week abortion ban last fall, but has yet to rule on the case. The idea of a ballot initiative has been in the works since the end of 2022, after Roe v. Wade fell and DeSantis swiftly passed a 15-week abortion ban. Pro-choice amendments have won out in every state where abortion was on the ballot since 2022, including in red and purple states like Kentucky and Ohio.Support HuffPostOur 2024 Coverage Needs YouYour Loyalty Means The World To UsAt HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is …
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“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider,” the amendment states. The amendment clarifies that it would not change the state’s current law that requires parental consent for a minor to obtain an abortion.The highly anticipated ruling was seemingly delayed last week after the court’s regular Thursday opinion release time came and went. The court later announced it would release “out-of-calendar opinions” on Monday, which is the deadline for a decision on whether the abortion amendment, as well as one on recreational marijuana, will be on the ballot in November. The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the proposal in February and was tasked with approving the amendment language before it appears on the ballot in November. The step is normally more of a procedural one, but in an anti-choice state like Florida, which also has one of the most conservative Supreme Courts in the country, it was another critical hurdle for pro-choice advocates in the state. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) claimed that the amendment was misleading and alleged in briefs that the term “viability” is ambiguous. During arguments in February, Nathan Forrester, with the state attorney general’s office, argued that the ballot language was “understated to the point of deception,” adding that “voters won’t know what they’re voting for.” Advertisement
“The people of Florida aren’t stupid,” chief Justice Carlos Muñiz said in response to Forrester’s claim. “I mean, they can figure this out.” Florida currently has a 15-week abortion ban in effect, which was championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), an extreme abortion opponent. DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law last year, but it will not go into effect until the state Supreme Court rules on a challenge to the current 15-week restriction. The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the 15-week abortion ban last fall, but has yet to rule on the case. The idea of a ballot initiative has been in the works since the end of 2022, after Roe v. Wade fell and DeSantis swiftly passed a 15-week abortion ban. Pro-choice amendments have won out in every state where abortion was on the ballot since 2022, including in red and purple states like Kentucky and Ohio.Support HuffPostOur 2024 Coverage Needs YouYour Loyalty Means The World To UsAt HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]