Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging Floridians to vote "No" on Amendment 4.
The 'Right to Abortion Initiative,' is on November’s ballot and would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. Right now, Florida law bans most abortions after six weeks.
DeSantis said at a press conference in Jacksonville on Tuesday that he believes the amendment, if passed, will lead to an influx of people seeking abortions in Florida.
“We already have thousands a month that takes place under our current Heartbeat Bill," said DeSantis.
Governor DeSantis is Joined by Doctors in Jacksonville to Discuss the Harms of Amendment 4 https://t.co/L6WefdWIzy
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 22, 2024
"This would be way more than that and we would be bringing in people from other states. And we would become this major abortion tourist destination, which is not what we want for our state.”
Abortion access advocates say Florida’s amendment would expand abortion access for women throughout the nation’s southeast.
Right now, access is limited in most states in the region—meaning pregnant people often must travel states far away to get an abortion.
Florida Amendment 4 states:
"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. This amendment does not change the Legislature's constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion."
But DeSantis called the measure a “bait and switch.” He also said the amendment’s language is "too vague" and that it would negatively impact the role parents play in their child's health and wellbeing.
“If it were to pass, that would take away people’s rights because this eliminates the right for parents to consent for a minor to have an abortion,” DeSantis said. “That’s current law in Florida, that you have parental consent.”
