Voters in Florida on Tuesday rejected Amendment 4, which would have created a right to an abortion in the state constitution.
Decision Desk determined that the measure was a failure at 8:15 p.m. ET. Amendment 4’s failure is a victory for Governor Ron DeSantis, who led the opposition to the measure in his state. The measure needed 60% support from voters to pass.
DeSantis campaigned against the measure, warning Floridians that its passage would turn the state into an “abortion mecca.”
“Because all of the Southeast has various forms of pro-life legislation, Florida would become the abortion mecca of this region — and maybe one of the abortion meccas of the entire world, because it would be one of the most liberal abortion regimes anywhere in the world,” the governor told a group of faith leaders over the summer.
The measure, if it passed, would have established a right to an abortion in the Florida constitution up to “fetal viability.” It would have overruled Florida’s current law, a heartbeat bill, which bans abortion at six weeks after a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
In addition to enshrining a right to an abortion, the measure also would have restricted parental oversight, a point DeSantis continually hammered as an infringement on parents’ right to raise their children.
DeSantis spokeswoman Taryn Fenske previously described the measure: “Amendment 4 doesn’t just repeal existing abortion laws; it overturns all regulations, including parental consent, taxpayer funding restrictions, and opens the door for non-doctors to perform abortions. Funded by dark money from liberal out-of-state billionaires, Amendment 4 paves the way for unrestricted access to abortion up until viability — and beyond — through numerous loopholes.”
“Floridians could be forced to pay for abortions, fundamentally altering both healthcare practices and the ethical landscape of our state,” Fenske said.
The campaign for Amendment 4 was propelled by progressive groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood. Progressive mega donor George Soros and his network also supported the measure, as well as Democratic dark money groups. Outside groups poured millions of dollars into the campaign for the measure. Planned Parenthood and its network poured $100 million into the effort.
The campaign to pass Amendment 4 ran ads on Florida stations that alleged that Florida’s law endangered women. Florida’s Department of Health sent cease and desist letters to stations that ran the ad, threatening lawsuits for dishonest claims about the state’s abortion laws.
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