MIAMI. – The recent announcement by the Florida Division of Elections, indicating that the initiative that seeks to enshrine the right to abortion in the state Constitution through a referendum had exceeded the number of signatures necessary, could derail the efforts of Republican politicians who , in two consecutive years, legislated in favor of restricting the interruption of pregnancy.
An issue that has historically divided American society and serves to mobilize feminist movements, Democratic sympathizers, the female vote and the moderate.
The initiative, led by the organization Floridians Protecting Freedom (FTP), collected more than 910,000 verified signatures, 20,000 more than those necessary to place the question on the ballot next November 2024. It presented the signatures almost a month before the limit required by law, on February 1.
The proposed ballot amendment should read language similar to the following: “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the health of the patient, as determined by the health care provider.” of the patient”.
Viability is the key
Although the viability of pregnancy is usually set at around 24 weeks, it is precisely the term “viability” that Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has used as an argument to present a legal brief asking the Florida Supreme Court to block the amendment, since “viability” can have too many meanings.
Moody also said his opposition to the issue being put to a referendum had nothing to do with his personal views on abortion. “As I have done throughout my two terms, I have objected to those initiatives when the language misled voters,” the attorney general justified his position.
In the hands of the Court
Additionally, Moody maintained that “although I personally would not vote for this initiative, regardless of the definition of ‘viability’ that is used, I know that for some voters it is important for their choice that it be defined whether it is abortion in the first trimester or later. end of the second quarter. “Floridians have the right to know clearly and concisely why they are voting for or against.”
On February 7, the state Supreme Court will rule on the proposed amendment sponsored by FTF.
Background
Organizations supporting FTF’s initiative include ACLU Florida, Florida Rising, Planned Parenthood, Women’s Voices of SWFL, Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, among other.
FTF began collecting signatures in May 2023, after the Republican-majority legislature passed the bill prohibiting the termination of pregnancy beyond six weeks. The previous year, the same Republican majority had approved a law that prevented abortions after 15 weeks. That is, in two years, Florida went from allowing abortion up to 24 weeks to restricting it after six weeks.
Can you abort?
Currently, the ban on termination of pregnancy after 15 weeks is being challenged in court. If the state Supreme Court considers it constitutional, then the restriction up to six weeks approved in 2023 would be activated.
According to Democratic Senator Book, restricting the interruption to six weeks is “the latest attempt to control women’s bodies and take away our rights,” it is a desperate attempt by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to gain relevance before his announcement as candidate for the Republican candidacy in the 2024 presidential elections.
“Let’s be clear,” said the Democratic senator, “passing the ban on abortion after six weeks is equivalent to banning abortion in general in Florida. No woman can know that she is pregnant, make an appointment and terminate a pregnancy in “It’s just not possible, especially with the current physician shortage and weeks-long wait lists for services.”
Of those dusts, these muds
In the middle of an election year, in the current 2024 legislature, Republican representative David Borrero presented bill HB-1519 that seeks to classify abortion at any stage as a third-degree felony, punishable by a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $100,000.
The idea of the project is that there is no distinction between an unborn person and a born person, and that scientific advances supposedly guarantee that a person is a person from the moment of conception.
“Florida Republicans continue to show how far they are willing to go with the introduction of HB1519,” Democratic state Rep. Anna V Eskamani said in a statement.
“This is crazy and extreme, and not what most Floridians want.”
Finally, if the initiative of Floridians Protecting Freedom If it reaches the November 2024 ballot, in order for it to become law, it will need to receive the support of at least 60% of the votes.
(email protected)
@menendezpryce
