A high-stakes abortion amendment in Florida has failed following a long-fraught battled against the progressive legislation by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Abortion on the ballot has been seen as a sticking point for Republicans since the overturning of Roe V Wade, but a major amendment in Florida failed after voters voted “No” on the progressive legislation.
The measure needed a 60 percent supermajority to pass, the highest threshold in the country. It failed after 43% voted “No” and 57% voted “Yes.”
Florida’s abortion ban has been a contentious topic in the once-swing-state, with proponents of the amendment arguing that the Sunshine State’s current 6-week abortion ban is too restrictive after it was implemented in May.
The amendment’s language states, “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.”
DeSantis used his platform as governor to lead the charge against the high-stakes amendment on the ballot, calling the measure a “bait and switch.”
“This amendment, if adopted, would be the first amendment in the history of the state of Florida to actually repeal a right”, the Republican governor said during a “Doctors Against Amendment 4” stop in October.
