Liberal social media commentators and left-wing media figures have blasted Florida voters and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for rejecting an amendment creating a constitutional right to abortion, calling the failure “openly fascist.” expressed.
“He did everything possible, including, as you said, intimidation and using the power of government to make sure this amendment failed. I can tell you that he is very determined,” MSNBC said. Joy Reid spoke on Tuesday night's broadcast about the failure of the Fourth Amendment to the Florida Constitution.
Last year, Mr. DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. this year, Floridians voted for Amendment 4. The Abortion Rights Initiative worked to repeal the ban.
In Florida, constitutional amendments require 60% support, rather than a simple majority, to pass. Although Amendment 4 received majority support among voters, it fell short of the 60% threshold and drew intense criticism from Democrats, left-wing media, and pro-choice advocates.
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Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks with supporters at a caucus night party on January 15, 2024 in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neighborgal)
A Rolling Stone headline published Tuesday night proclaimed, “DeSantis' dirty tricks work as Florida's abortion plan fails.” And social media users chimed in with expletives aimed at voters who rejected the ballot measure.
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Other commenters directed expletives at Mr. DeSantis and the voters who rejected the amendment.
“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict the ability to obtain an abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the health of the patient, in the judgment of the patient's health care provider. .This amendment does not alter Congress's constitutional authority to require prior notification to a parent or guardian “of a minor having an abortion,'' the amendment states.
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Republicans and religious leaders in the state had decried the pro-choice amendment in the months leading up to Election Day, with DeSantis saying the amendment's chances of passing were due to “pro-choice amendments.” “It means the end of the Life Movement,” he said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Seeger)
“If you're interested in building a culture of life in this state and this country, a victory in Florida really means the end of the pro-life movement,” DeSantis said at an event at Tampa's Jesuit High School in September. I think it is,” he said. The Tampa Bay Times reported.
“If you look at the state of Florida, there is no pro-life majority,” DeSantis warned. “We have a lot of support, but we don't have a majority. If only pro-life people oppose it, there's a good chance it will pass.”
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Catholic leaders in the state also denounced the amendment as “very serious” and called on all “Floridians of goodwill” to vote against it.
Floridians wait in line at an early voting location to vote in local, state and national elections on November 3, 2024 in Clearwater, Florida. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)
“We urge all Floridians of goodwill to oppose the legalization of late-term abortions and to oppose the abortion reform bill, so we can protect the weakest and most innocent among us. “Not only will we protect defenseless lives, we will protect countless women around the world by protecting our state from the harm of abortion,” Florida's Catholic bishops said in a statement. Statement regarding Amendment 4.
After the bill failed, pro-life and religious groups celebrated the news as a major victory for the pro-life movement.
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“The rejection of the Fourth Amendment in Florida is a huge victory for the entire state, especially the most vulnerable states. Some of the dollars came from outside the state, using the same tactics as other states that relied on fear-mongering and disinformation,'' Catholic Vote President Brian Birch said in a statement.
“But Floridians rejected this proposal, knowing it would open the floodgates to taxpayer-funded abortions at any time and for any reason. We have supported this policy from the beginning. We are grateful to Governor Ron DeSantis for leading the effort to break through the false pro-abortion campaign and expose the ugly truth about the Fourth Amendment. ”
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