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April 1, 2024Today the Florida Supreme Court ruled to allow placement of the “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion” on the November 2024 ballot, which will appear as Amendment 4. Prior to ballot placement, Florida’s Supreme Court reviews the language of constitutional amendments proposed by initiative to determine whether it is clear and unambiguous and covers only a single subject.
In response to the court’s decision, Michael B. Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB), issued the following statement:
“We are greatly dismayed that the Florida Supreme Court did not reject this deceptively-worded amendment, and that it will appear on the November 2024 ballot. Under the guise of limiting government interference, this extreme ballot initiative would legalize full-term abortion, including when the baby is capable of feeling pain. If passed, the amendment to our state constitution would put the most innocent of human lives in grave danger until the moment of birth and would eliminate gains made over the past several decades to protect women from the harms of abortion, including health and safety protocols at abortion facilities. The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops will work hard to oppose this cruel and dangerous amendment and urge all Floridians to vote 'no' on Amendment 4.”
FCCB filed a brief with the Florida Supreme Court that identified ways in which both the ballot title and the amendment language are misleading and fail to provide voters with the full impact of the amendment on existing Florida law.
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The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is an agency of the Catholic Bishops of Florida. It speaks for the Church in matters of public policy and serves as liaison to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The archbishop and bishops of the seven (arch)dioceses in Florida constitute its board of directors.