“After the point of viability, any legislation, such as those regarding late-term abortion, could be superseded, granting veto authority to a healthcare provider over any post-viability law if the provider deems it necessary to safeguard the woman’s health,” he elaborated. “A healthcare provider could simply state, without defining ‘health’ explicitly (which can encompass a wide range of reasons), that ‘This legislation cannot prohibit abortion.’”
Staver highlighted that the amendment also offers a broad interpretation of a healthcare provider, which, according to him, could encompass various professions such as “a tattoo artist, a 911 operator, orthotic fitter, orthotic fitter assistant,” and more.
Julia Friedland, a spokesperson for DeSantis, also criticized the amendment, labeling it as misleading.
“We concur with the three female justices who rightly dissented,” Friedland expressed to CNA. “This amendment is deceptive and has the potential to confuse voters. Its language obscures the true intention of the amendment, which is to mandate the allowance of abortions up until the moment of birth.”
Catholic Bishops Call for Rejection of the Amendment
Following the court’s decision, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement condemning the ruling and urging Floridians to reject the amendment.
“We are profoundly disheartened by the Florida Supreme Court’s failure to reject this misleadingly-worded amendment, allowing it to be included on the November 2024 ballot,” the bishops stated. “If approved, this constitutional amendment would endanger the most vulnerable human lives up to birth and reverse the progress made in safeguarding women from the dangers associated with abortion, including health and safety standards at abortion facilities.”
The bishops emphasized their commitment to opposing this “cruel and perilous” amendment and encouraged all Floridians to vote ‘no’ on Amendment 4.
The Florida bishops have consistently opposed the amendment and presented a case to the state Supreme Court in November 2023, arguing that the title of the proposal “misleadingly implies that the amendment ‘restricts’ government intervention while actually prohibiting all regulations pre-viability.”
Angela Curatalo, the director of the Respect Life Office at the Archdiocese of Miami, denounced the amendment as extreme, misleading, and “profoundly detrimental to Floridians.”
“Voters must understand its actual implications,” Curatalo emphasized. “In reality, it would eliminate all regulations entirely, rather than ‘restrict’ them. This would effectively legalize abortion in Florida up to the moment of birth, without any constraints on timing or rationale.”
She further explained that the amendment would abolish the Parental Consent Prior to a Minor’s Abortion law in Florida, stripping parents of their oversight rights concerning their child’s health and well-being, and eliminate regulations pertaining to safe practices, informed consent, and sanitary standards before an abortion, among other provisions.
Highlighting the efforts of the archdiocese’s three pregnancy centers and other pro-life initiatives, Curatalo contrasted the support provided by the pro-life movement to pregnant women and their families with the “violence and horror of abortion” offered by the abortion industry.
Peter Pinedo, a Correspondent in Washington, D.C., for CNA, and a graduate of Franciscan University with previous experience at Texas Right to Life, added that he is a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.