Watch this very brief video as Noah Fay, FFPC Media Producer, gives a quick update on the upcoming Supreme Court Oral Arguments coming this Wednesday.
PRAYER ALERT!
The Florida State Supreme Court will be meeting on Wednesday, February 7th, at 9 am to hear oral arguments on whether they will allow the radical abortion-on-demand ballot initiative to be on the 2024 General Election ballot here in Florida.
Among examining various technical issues, the Court will decide if the language of the amendment is misleading and deceptive as to the actual effect it will have. We and many of our allies, including Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, strongly maintain this is exactly the case with this dangerous amendment.
The ballot summary of this initiative reads as follows:
“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.”
Here’s the reality…
This amendment is very extreme and deceptive. It would enshrine abortion as a fundamental right in Florida’s constitution and allow abortions for virtually any reason up to nine months of pregnancy.
The amendment is also dangerous because it would legally trump and invalidate almost every commonsense law in Florida regulating abortion, including parental consent, clinic safety regulations, and the 24-hour waiting period. The executive branch and the legislature would be powerless to regulate abortion or abortion clinics at all!
The amendment language is highly deceptive and not what it seems to be. It appears to allow lawmakers to restrict or stop late-term abortions after viability. But it also allows for abortion on demand for any “health” reason at the absolute discretion of any health provider. This provider could be an acupuncturist, nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, or abortion clinic worker who is not a doctor.
This amendment is also deceptive by claiming to protect parental notification, the requirement that a parent be notified of a minor receiving an abortion. However, it fails to mention that it will absolutely eliminate parental consent laws, the requirement that a parent consent before a minor obtains an abortion.
The word “health” is extremely broad in the context of abortion case law. It can include any condition, including headaches, nausea, cramping, anxiety, and discomfort, and can include “emotional, psychological, familial” factors. Thus, the health “exception” could allow for abortion in virtually any and every situation.
The use of the term “viability” is also problematic because this concept is a moving target based on technology, and no clear definition of viability exists.
The PDF below (click the image to download) provides you with the talking points to arm you on how to spread the word with your church, your friends, and your family on this dangerous amendment and how we can push back against the abortion corporation misinformation.
Sadly, but unsurprisingly,after spending over 15 MILLION DOLLARS – funded largely by radical proabortion advocates Planned Parenthood and the ACLU in an extremely deceptive and underhanded campaign – the initiative has received the needed number of petitions to qualify for the ballot.
The Florida State Supreme Court is the last line of defense against this extreme and misleading amendment being placed on the ballot for the November election! After the oral arguments next week, the Court has until early April to issue their final ruling.
Please be in prayer for this critical decision which could set the stage for the most critical battle to defend the unborn on the state level in our lifetime!
Make no mistake: if this amendment reaches the ballot and exceeds the 60% threshold in the November election, not only will this wipe out decades of pro-life accomplishments, but it would also eliminate any hope of finally seeing the complete protections for the unborn and their mothers for the indefinite future. Abortion on demand, up until the moment of birth would be enshrined in our state constitution.
Please pray that the Lord would move on the hearts of the Justices to rule against this dangerous and deceptive amendment, so that we can continue to fight for the precious lives of the unborn and Lord willing live to see the day when Florida is a state that protects and cherishes our children, from the moment conception, to birth, and to natural death!
Here is a list of the Justices, so you may pray for them by name:
Chief Justice Carlos Muniz
Justice Charles Canady
Justice John Couriel
Justice Renatha Francis
Justice Jamie Grosshans
Justice Jorge Labarga
Justice Meredith Sasso
You can watch the livestream of the Court oral arguments as they are occurring HERE. Again, the Court will hear oral arguments on Wednesday, February 7th, at 9 am.
Several members of the FFPC team will be on the ground in Tallahassee and will provide updates in the days following the hearing.
For real-time updates follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube, or sign up for email and text alerts here.
Florida Family has been both on the frontlines and behind the scenes in this battle with many of our allies including Susan B. Anthony Pro-life America, the Florida Catholic Conference, Florida Right to Life, and many others. Together, we are leading the charge to ensure this dangerous initiative does not become law in the state of Florida.
Please keep our team in your prayers as we continue to lead this fight for life in the state of Florida!
For life,
Florida Family Policy Council Team