Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis zeroed in on the controversial abortion amendment featured on the state ballot, labeling it a “bait and switch.”
Amendment 4 is set to overturn Florida’s six-week abortion restriction by embedding abortion rights into the state constitution.
DeSantis took the stage at a Tuesday press conference in Winter Garden, to make his opposition to the measure known.
“When people actually peel back the onion and see what this amendment is, they don’t like it,” he remarked. “And it loses a lot of support.”
The Florida Republican criticized the amendment for its “vague language,” suggesting it could permit elective abortions throughout an entire pregnancy if deemed necessary by anyone employed at abortion clinics, not just physicians.
“It’s interesting because it’s written with no definitions,” he added. “It’s intentionally vague and deceptive.”
“All they’re doing is lying about Florida policies and laws about respecting life, both the life of the mother and the health of the mother, of course, but also the life of the child.”
He pointed out the amendment’s failure to specify “viability,” which typically ranges from 20 to 25 weeks.
Additionally, DeSantis has concerns over the ambiguous term “health care provider” used in the text.
“[Amendment 4] It says that an abortion can be greenlit all the way to the moment of birth by a ‘health care provider’,” he noted. “That’s the term that they used. Well, a health care provider is not the same as a licensed physician.”
He stressed that Florida law mandates licensed doctors for such procedures due to their high-risk nature. He argued no other state has ventured down this path.
Further, DeSantis was troubled by the amendment’s stance on minors seeking abortions. Although the text claims it won’t alter parental notification laws, it conspicuously omits references to obtaining parental consent.
“This amendment, if adopted, would be the first amendment in the history of the state of Florida to actually repeal a right. It will repeal the right of a parent to have to provide consent before their child undergoes an abortion,” he explained.
Under current Florida laws, parental consent is required for minors to received medical treatment.
“What this amendment does, it gives a little bait and switch. The legislature says it requires parental notification, but that’s not the same as consent,” he remarked. “Notification can be sent via a postcard.”
