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November 17, 2023The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has filed a legal brief with the Florida Supreme Court opposing a ballot initiative that seeks to enshrine unfettered abortion access into the state constitution.
The FCCB’s brief was one of four others filed on October 31 in addition to Attorney General Ashley Moody’s initial brief contesting the validity of the petition initiative for the “Amendment to Limit Government Inference with Abortion.” Other organizations that filed a brief were Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, National Center for Life and Liberty, and Florida Voters Against Extremism, a political committee formed specifically to organize and lead opposition to the initiative.
The Florida Supreme Court has a responsibility to ensure that the language of any initiative placed on the ballot clearly and accurately represents what it intends to do. The FCCB’s brief argues that the proposed ballot title is misleading. The title states the amendment "limits" government interference with abortion when the text of the amendment itself actually prohibits all regulation before viability. The ballot language also fails to advise voters that the amendment would largely prohibit the state's oversight of pre-viability abortion providers and clinics and provide fair notice of its impact on existing statutory protections, including the requirement to obtain parental consent before performing an abortion on a minor.
Besides receiving the Florida Supreme Court’s approval to proceed to the ballot, the sponsors of the proposed amendment must submit 891,523 valid petition signatures by the Feb.1 deadline in order to be placed on the November 2024 ballot. As of November 16, the Division of Elections website shows that 491,892 valid signatures have been obtained.
The FCCB urges that all Floridians decline to sign the petition for this dangerous and extreme amendment. Parishes are strongly urged to include the Decline to Sign announcement in their bulletins.
The FCCB urges that all Floridians decline to sign the petition for this dangerous and extreme amendment. Parishes are strongly urged to include the Decline to Sign announcement in their bulletins.