CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday morning held a news conference along with Florida doctors who are urging people to vote “no” on Amendment 4, which involves abortion rights.
If approved by 60% of voters, Amendment 4 would essentially restore the guidelines of Roe v. Wade to Florida.
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The measure would add an amendment to the state constitution to protect the right to abortion until fetal viability, which is considered to be somewhere over 20 weeks into pregnancy. And it could be later to preserve the life or health of the woman. The amendment would undo a law that took effect this year banning abortion in most cases after the first six weeks of pregnancy — before many women know they’re pregnant.
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DeSantis criticized the amendment and said it is being funded by out-of-state groups that did not disclose its true implications. He said it is intentionally vague and misleading, with the potential to eliminate parental consent for minors seeking abortions, allow non-physicians to perform abortions, and lead to taxpayer funding for abortions. His criticisms of the amendment were echoed by a handful of doctors who joined him.
“The concerns being claimed that women’s lives are at risk if this amendment does not pass is a lie. In the 20 years that I have been practicing obstetrics and gynecology, I have never once been limited in providing proper medical care for my patients,” said Dr. Christina Pena, an obstetrician-gynecologist who described herself as “pro-life.”
Since May, the law in Florida has mostly capped abortions at six weeks, and although the current law does allow exceptions for abortions up to 15 weeks for rape, incest, and human trafficking, as well as to save the life of the mother, risk of physical impairment, and fatal fetal abnormality, advocates say they’re not enough.
On a call organized by Amendment 4 supporters in September, another group of Florida doctors explained the impacts they have seen since Florida tightened its laws to put new restrictions on abortions after six weeks.
“Florida has a near total abortion ban that impacts many women before they even realize they’re pregnant,” said Sarasota-based OBGYN Dr. Jerry Goodman. “And as a doctor, I’m committed to saving lives, but Florida’s extreme abortion ban ties my hands and puts lives at risk.”
Abortion-rights advocates prevailed on all seven statewide ballot measures across the U.S. in 2022 and 2023 — but they had three-fifths support only in generally liberal California and Vermont.
