{"id":304120,"date":"2023-12-24T15:31:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T21:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=304120"},"modified":"2023-12-22T00:53:04","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T06:53:04","slug":"legal-group-deceptive-abortion-initiative-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/legal-group-deceptive-abortion-initiative-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal group fights ‘deceptive’ abortion ballot initiative in Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Liberty Counsel<\/a>) As pro-abortion activist groups try to establish unlimited human genocide in Florida with a proposed amendment that would codify unrestricted abortion as a right in the state constitution, Liberty Counsel continues to urge the Florida Supreme Court not to approve it.<\/p>\n

Liberty Counsel recently\u00a0filed<\/a>\u00a0a reply brief on behalf of Florida Voters Against Extremism (FLVAE) urging the Florida Supreme Court not to approve the wording of a proposed amendment that would codify unrestricted abortion as a right in the state\u2019s constitution. In the reply brief, Liberty Counsel argues that the initiative is misleading and deceptive and violates the single subject rule. In the brief, Liberty Counsel states the sponsor completely sidesteps these legal issues and fails to provide a meaningful rebuttal.<\/p>\n

The proposed amendment, \u201cAmendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion,\u201d would create a new section in the Florida Constitution \u201climiting government interference with abortion.\u201d The full text of the accompanying ballot summary states: \u201cNo law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient\u2019s health, as determined by the patient\u2019s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature\u2019s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2024 Florida Department of State\u2019s Initiative Petition Handbook states that to be placed on the ballot for this election cycle, a petition\u00a0must<\/a>\u00a0be signed by 891,523 verified voter signatures statewide by February 1, 2024. In addition, \u201cthe signatures must come from a number of electors in each of one half of the congressional districts of the state, and of the state as a whole, equal to\u00a0eight percent<\/a>\u00a0of the votes cast in each of such districts respectively and in the state as a whole in the last preceding election in which presidential electors were chosen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, a total of 753,771 have already been verified,\u00a0according<\/a>\u00a0to the Florida Division of Elections. Yet, \u201cstatewide and congressional district totals for ballot position are not official until the Secretary of State determines the requisite signatures have been obtained and issues a certificate of ballot position.\u201d More signatures for the proposed amendment are apparently in the verification process, which can take a month to complete.<\/p>\n

The proposed amendment is sponsored by\u00a0Floridians Protecting Freedom, Inc<\/a>., a political committee supported by the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups that support the termination of preborn humans through unrestricted abortion on demand. Even the name, Floridians Protecting Freedom, is deceptive when their objective is to \u201cprotect Floridians\u2019 access to abortion as reproductive health care.\u201d<\/p>\n