Advocates slam Florida panel’s ‘dirty tricks’ adding language to abortion rights initiative
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Video above: Tampa Bay midwife reacts to Florida abortion rights initiative
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida abortion rights advocates say “deceptive” and “politically motivated” language will appear next to Amendment 4 on the ballot this November.
A four-person panel was tasked with drafting a financial impact statement for the proposed abortion rights amendment at the Financial Impact Estimating Conference. Two represented Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one was appointed by House Speaker Paul Renner, plus conference chair and coordinator of Florida Economic and Demographic Research, Amy Baker.
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Both DeSantis and Renner publicly oppose Amendment 4, which is titled “Limit Government Interference with Abortion.” They maintain that the ballot summary is too vague and intentionally confusing for voters, even after the DeSantis-stacked Florida Supreme Court gave it their approval.
The panel convened after a judge ordered the previous financial impact statement, which was drafted before Florida’s 6-week abortion ban took effect, be reworked due to “inaccurate, ambiguous, misleading, unclear and confusing” language.
The financial impact statement, which estimates how the proposed amendment could affect the state budget, appears alongside the amendment’s summary on the ballot.
The panel debated for several hours over three weeks before approving a statement Monday that warned of lost tax revenue and high litigation costs, with Baker as the only dissenting voice. The majority of the panel agreed that multiple Florida laws could be challenged as unconstitutional if Amendment 4 were to take effect.
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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 and state courts that will negatively impact the state budget. An increase in abortions may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time. Because the fiscal impact of increased abortions on state and local revenues and costs cannot be estimated with precision, the total impact of the proposed amendment is indeterminate
Supporters of the amendment said this language may confuse voters and steer them away from a “yes” vote.
“They’re trying to cause confusion and hide the real issue: Amendment 4 is about ending Florida’s extreme abortion ban which outlaws abortion before many women even realize they are pregnant,” Lauren Brenzel, Campaigns Director for Yes on 4, said in a statement.
Brenzel accused officials of “playing dirty tricks to overcomplicate and politicize a simple administrative fix,” calling the hearings a “sham.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida also opposed the results of the hearing.
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“The financial impact statement should objectively evaluate the budgetary impacts of the proposed amendment, focusing on clear, data-driven projections,” Michelle Morton, staff attorney at ACLU of Florida, said in a statement. “However, the current statement is a distorted narrative fueled by political agendas and a corrupted process. It is rife with anti-abortion talking points and far-fetched scenarios designed to scare voters into maintaining the status quo of a near-total ban on abortion.”
On Election Day, 60% of voters would have to vote “yes” to approve the abortion rights amendment.
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