First, a victory…
As SBA’s Southern Regional Director Caitlin Connors reported last week, the abortion lobby seeking to enshrine all-trimester abortion in Florida’s state constitution recently suffered a major self-own.
What happened (short version): There is a requirement that Florida voters be provided an estimate of what a proposed constitutional amendment would cost taxpayers. This estimate – determined by the Financial Impact Estimating Conference, the body of economists whose job it is make these evaluations – appears on the ballot with the proposal.
Last year, we warned the FIEC of “the immeasurable cost of litigation that will ensue from the amendment passing (such as what Michigan and Ohio are experiencing) and the potential for taxpayer funding of abortions should this amendment pass.” The ACLU, for their part, made a grotesque argument that more children aborted equals more cost savings. In a blow to the pro-abortion side, the FIEC found that the taxpayer impact couldn’t be determined.
After Florida’s heartbeat protections took effect in the spring, the ACLU claimed a new assessment was needed. They asked for a rehearing.
This time, with input from pro-life experts like Dr. Michael New, they lost even harder. In November, voters will see a description stating that the amendment “would result in significantly more abortions and fewer live births per year,” an increase that “could be even greater if the amendment invalidates laws requiring parental consent before minors undergo abortions and those ensuring only licensed physicians perform abortions” (emphasis added), as well as potentially mandating taxpayer-funded abortions.
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This is a win for Florida voters, who – not surprisingly – are already wary of the amendment’s vague language.
Unhappy to take it on the chin, the abortion lobby and their ACLU lawyers are now trying to save face by suing the president of the state Senate, the speaker of the House, and the FIEC itself – all over their own miscalculation. With just over three months left to go, they are shopping for an “impartial” judge to rewrite the statement instead – with their input, of course.
This just goes to show that the abortion lobby will never quit seeking to impose its unpopular will, no matter how novel, illogical, costly or undemocratic the means. We will be monitoring developments in this case. However, voters still have a chance to shut down the all-trimester abortion amendment and stop the ACLU from overriding all protections for unborn children and their mothers in the Sunshine State.
Before a constitutional amendment passes, the abortion lobby pitches it with focus group-tested platitudes about “limits on government interference” and misleading references to the “viability” of an unborn child. They outright lie about the ability of women to receive medical care for a miscarriage or life-threatening pregnancy complication.
After the amendment passes, then their full-throttle agenda becomes more evident. Whatever pro-life protections are not gutted by pro-abortion lawmakers are targeted to be stripped away through litigation.
In Michigan, forced taxpayer funding of abortion on demand via Medicaid failed to pass in the legislature over Democratic opposition. No matter – left-wing groups are suing to make it happen. The estimated cost of aborting healthy children of low-income mothers, according to a legislative analysis, would be $2-6 million annually.
The ACLU is leading the attack on parental rights, calling for the immediate repeal of Michigan’s law requiring parental consent (which includes a judicial bypass option) – arguing that any such requirement “hurts young people.”
Likewise, in Michigan and Ohio, the abortion lobby went to court to get rid of informed consent protections for patients. They do not believe women deserve to have full and accurate information about the risks of abortion from medical professionals before making a decision. Praising the court injunction that blocked informed consent, Gov. Whitmer glibly characterized this essential right as a mere “political roadblock put in place to shame and inconvenience women.”
“Floridians and those who live in states where abortion could be on the ballot should take note of the unfortunate realities playing out” elsewhere in the country, says Sue Liebel, SBA’s midwestern regional director. “Every health and safety protection on the books will be targeted because even the abortion advocates say this [Ohio] lawsuit is only step one. This is the agenda for every abortion amendment and we must fight back to protect women and girls.”
LifeNews Note: Courtesty of SBA ProLife. This column originally appeared at the SBA ProLife Substack
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