A large coalition of medical experts is warning Florida voters about an intentionally “misleading” abortion amendment that, if passed in the November election, would overturn the state's six-week abortion ban.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law in 2023. The law bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
“It will become much easier for traffickers and abusers to coerce girls into having abortions.”
New voting measures, Amendment 4The bill, called the “Abortion Rights Initiative,” seeks to roll back state restrictions by adding language to the Florida Constitution's Declaration of Rights that reads, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability, as determined by the patient's health care provider, or when necessary to protect the patient's health.”
The amendment has attracted national attention after Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump recently reiterated to reporters that he believes DeSantis' six-week ban is “too short.” Trump's response has sparked backlash from pro-life advocates, and the Florida resident has made clear how he plans to vote on the measure, The Blaze News previously reported.
Trump said in a recent interview that he believes six weeks is “too short” but that he plans to vote against the amendment, citing a “radicalization” of Democrats in support of abortion up to nine months. If passed, the proposal could block any legislation that tries to impose term limits.
Florida doctors recently expressed concern about the bill's “terse” and “vague” language.
Dr. Richard Sandler, a pediatric gastroenterologist, is one of hundreds of medical professionals who have joined the Florida Medical Association in opposing Amendment 4 and spoke out against the proposed amendment.
“To me, the most powerful [argument] “Because abortion before birth is something that even pro-life advocates typically don't support,” Sandler said. Phoenix, Florida“And certainly, it's clear that the majority of voters are not in favor of it. But they don't read this amendment and realize that this is what it's allowed to do. It's not clearly written there. You have to read between the lines a little bit and it's hard to explain, but it's there.”
Sandler called the bill “highly misleading” and full of vague language.
“It's too brief, too vague, too many terms that aren't defined,” he added. “And there's a lot of money and deception behind it.”
Florida Doctors Against Amendment 4 Website If passed, the bill would allow abortions up to nine months into pregnancy and would eliminate the need for parental consent for children, they said.
The proposed amendment would still require “notice to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion,” but critics point out that “notice” is not the same as “consent.”
Stephen Hannan, president of the Southwest Florida chapter of the Catholic Medical Association, called the move “very misleading.” Venice Parish, Florida Reported.
“Parental notification alone does not require consent, just that the person has been notified,” Hannan said, “and the ballot outline does not provide a strict standard for notification as proof of parental identity.”
Dr. Karen Liebert, an obstetrician-gynecologist and medical director at Community Pregnancy Clinic in Sarasota, warned that the proposed changes could pose serious risks to children.
“Passage of this amendment removes the parental consent requirement, making it much easier for traffickers and abusers to coerce girls into having an abortion, which is a real problem. Worse yet, by not involving a doctor, it will be easier for abusers to get anyone, any vaguely defined 'health care provider,' to tell them they need an abortion,” Liebert explained.
Dr. Ana García Iguaran, an obstetrician-gynecologist and private practitioner, said the initiative would “provide unlimited and unrestricted access to abortion.”
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