Florida group seeking to put abortion on 2024 ballot raises $1.9 million in June
TAMPA, Florida (TodayNews) — The Florida Political Action Committee, which has supported a petition to put abortion on the 2024 ballot, raised almost $2 million in June, according to a recent campaign finance report.
As of Wednesday, an initiative called the “Abortion Government Intervention Amendment” has garnered only 22,164 signatures of the 891,523 needed to get on the ballot.
Despite the lack of verified signatures, the group behind the petition, Floridians Protecting Freedom, raised more than $1.94 million last month. The group has raised over $4.7 million since its formation in April.
Florida Supreme Court sets date for abortion ban hearing
According to the Floridians Protecting Freedom website, the group is supported by over 100 healthcare providers and over 200 organizations such as the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood.
Liberty Floridars said the mission of their statewide campaign is to “ensure that the people of Florida, not the politicians, can decide what is best for their own lives and bodies.”
The text of the proposed amendment reads: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay or restrict abortion until viable or when necessary to protect the health of the patient, as determined by the patient’s physician. This amendment does not change the constitutional authority of the Legislature to require notice to parents or guardians before a minor has an abortion.”
Once the petition reaches 222,881 signatures, it will trigger a scrutiny of the judicial and financial implications. The Florida Supreme Court is currently considering a proposed measure in a 2024 vote on another thorny issue, recreational marijuana.
The Florida Supreme Court will also hear oral argument in a case challenging the state’s 15-week abortion ban later this year. The case titled Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida v. Florida is blocking a more restrictive abortion law while it is in court.
