Amendment 4, limiting government interference with abortion, fails

Amendment 4 failed Tuesday, despite the majority of Florida voters saying “yes” on the ballot.

A 60% supermajority vote is required to pass an amendment and only 57% voted yes.

If passed, the amendment would have limited the government’s ability to block or delay the decision to end a pregnancy before the fetus is “viable” and/or to protect the life of the mother.

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More than a million voters signed petitions to get Amendment 4 on the ballot after Florida lawmakers moved to restrict abortion in Florida, first to 15 weeks, and currently to six weeks.

Amendment 4 would have ensured that terminating a pregnancy before viability is legal healthcare.

What does viability mean? Technically, it means “able to survive,” and in this context, the ability for a fetus to survive outside the womb.

Legal abortion until viability was Florida’s long-standing law prior to recent restrictions, and is recognized by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as an individual determination, around the 24th week.

Amendment 4 would have not changed lawmakers’ authority to require parents to be notified before a minor has an abortion. And it would not change lawmakers authority to regulate medical services, as it does with other procedures.

The state would retain the responsibility of ensuring healthcare providers are trained and competent, and facilities are safe.

Amendment 4 would have essentially rewound abortion access to the pre-2022 Florida law in Florida statutes and enshrined it in the state Constitution.

“By rejecting Amendment 4, Floridians saw through the lies and deceptions of the abortion industry-backed effort to legalize late-term abortion, remove parental consent and open the door to force taxpayer-funded abortions” Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said in a statement. “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis deserves special recognition for taking the abortion industry head on and setting a new standard for what it means to be a Pro-Life Champion as a state’s chief executive.”

“It is a dark day in Florida’s history. Floridians will continue to live under the extreme, near-total abortion ban that puts women’s lives in danger, and doctors will continue to be pushed out of our state as they risk criminal prosecution for treating patients who seek their professional care,” Anna Hochkammer, the Executive Director of Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition, said in a statement. “This is no longer the ‘Free State of Florida.’”

VIEW ALL RESULTS: South Florida General Election Results for Nov. 5, 2024