Breaking Down Amendment 4 for Florida Voters
This fall, abortion rights in the state of Florida will be in the hands of voters. A simple check of “Yes” or “No” for Amendment 4 will determine if abortion rights truly exist in the state.
Currently, the right to abortion is essentially nil for people under the laws that went into effect May 1. In 2022, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature modified its abortion ban, reducing it from fetal viability (24 weeks) to 15 weeks. The following year, legislators implemented a more stringent six-week restriction with the passage of the Heartbeat Protection Act.
“The limit is beyond when they realize they’re pregnant,” said Natasha Sutherland, the communications director of Floridians Protecting Freedom. “Those who do figure it out in the requisite time only have a day or two to make this decision. People are having to make a really difficult decision with almost no time to think about it.”
Amendment 4 seeks to reinstate 24 weeks, thereby restoring the rights curtailed over the past three years. A vote in favor of the amendment would add the following clause to the Florida Constitution’s Declaration of Rights: “… 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.”
To pass Amendment 4 requires the support of at least 60% of voters. Advocates for reproductive rights are mobilizing efforts to educate voters on the implications of the current law and the importance of restoring the 24-week timeframe. The pro-amendment campaigns emphasize that access to safe and legal abortions constitutes a fundamental healthcare right, asserting that restrictions on this access disproportionately affect marginalized communities. ??Pensacola Abortion Rights Taskforce (PART) co-founder Robin Blyn described the six-week ban policy as “terrible” and “devastating.”
“It’s one of the most strict bans in the country,” she said.
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