Good News, Bad News, and Muddy Waters – Rebecca’s Amendment Ballot Response April 1, 2024
Today was a critical day in the pro-life fight in our state that includes both good news and bad news. The Florida Supreme Court handed down several important decisions that leave life hanging in the balance. While the 15-week ban that was passed back in 2022 has been upheld, paving the way for the 6-week ban to go into effect, on the flip side, a decision was made to allow an extreme, pro-abortion Constitutional amendment to be voted on in the November elections. In other words, although major decisions were made today, the final outcomes for the protection of unborn life are anybody’s guess.
The fact that the 15-week abortion ban has been upheld is good news. Shortly after the law was passed in 2022, it was challenged in the courts by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union. Although the law remained in effect during the period of the challenge, with the decision today, it is officially in place.
This outcome also brings with it more good news. In April of 2023, Governor DeSantis signed a 6-week abortion ban into law, further protecting unborn life. However, because of the status of the 15-week ban being challenged in the courts, the 6-week ban could not go into effect when it was passed. However, now that the 15-week ban is upheld, 30 days from now, it will be replaced by the 6-week ban, stopping abortions in our state after 6 weeks of gestation.
This is great news for life, but unfortunately, there is a caveat that muddies the waters a bit, and that caveat is the unknown. It is possible that now the 6-week ban will be challenged the same way the 15-week ban was, and If that does happen, the law may not go into effect until that challenge is resolved. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict if that will happen or how long it will take to resolve it. But with this decision, we can have hope, and that is good news.
Despite these two legislative victories, there is still bad news from today with which we must contend. And this is very important. Because different from the laws being debated in the courts, this next major development today is something we all can impact. In fact, it is something we must impact if we want to protect life in the State of Florida. The other big decision today was that the Florida Supreme Court allowed for the proposed pro-abortion amendment to the State Constitution to be placed on the ballot in November. This is not good news for life.
This proposed constitutional amendment, called the Amendment Limiting Government Interference with Abortion, if passed, would accomplish a complete reversal of everything that has been accomplished to protect life in our state, including the 6-week and 15-week bans. If the amendment is passed, unborn babies will be aborted legally in our state at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason, without any restriction. This includes late-term, up-until-birth, abortions.
What’s most critical to understand is that this is an amendment to our State Constitution that is being proposed, not just a law. If the right for abortion is embedded in our Constitution, it is there to stay. No legislation can undo it. Only another Constitutional amendment that is passed can reverse it. It will be the law of the land. Period. This cannot happen, and we are the only ones who can prevent it–with our votes and our voices.
For the next 8 months, until the election in November, the pro-life community needs to come together and rise up in a way it never has before. We cannot be complacent any longer. We must remember that life is at stake! This is not about political parties or culture wars. This is about the countless lives that will be lost if that amendment is passed, and the lives that will be saved if it is not. For decades, we have said that we need to be a voice for the voiceless. But we need to be louder and stronger, and we need to be unified. We need to stand together, put aside any differences we have, and fight against this amendment.
So I share this news with you today for a few important reasons:
- You are a dear friend of A Woman’s Choice, and we want you to be informed about the important developments that affect life. I hope this has been helpful to you.
- In the weeks and months that follow today’s decision, you will continue to hear reports from us that will keep you informed of any developments in these situations. And you will hear ways you can make a difference in the outcomes. Please look for those communications.
- But even before then, begin communicating about this NOW. Our biggest weapon now is communication and education. We need to get the word out to vote NO for Amendment 4.
If you have any questions now, please feel free to contact our office, and we will do our best to provide you with answers or direct you to resources that have them.
We are truly grateful for your partnership with A Woman’s Choice. I believe if we stand together, with God on our side, we can win this fight! God bless you!