Gov Ron DeSantis Warns Florida Abortion Amendment Will Destroy Parental Consent

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis understands that the radical abortion amendment appealing on the November ballot that would allow abortions up to birth is so bad Florida voters should vote No.

And he understands it so well that he disabused a liberal media reporter today who tried to make the amendment seem less outrageous. DeSantis took the reporter to school on the fact that it destroys parental consent before a teen girl can have an abortion.

Here’s the exchange from the Florida Voice:

“The measure reads – this amendment does not require the change of parental notification [for abortion],” a reporter said.

DeSantis cut the reporter off, saying, “That’s not consent – exactly, you made the point! How deceptive is that?”

“A parent needs to provide a notarized letter to the physician,” the reporter said – citing current Florida law, not the amendment – which would “trump” existing state laws via the Florida Constitution, DeSantis said.

“There’s a difference between consent and notification,” DeSantis said. “Notification is after the fact. The consent is obviously a condition precedent. They did that because they know going after parents’ rights is a vulnerability.”

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“They tested this with millions of dollars to try to get people,” DeSantis said. “Don’t be fooled, though – that is severing the parental consent for minors […] It’s written so broadly, to just take out the notification, which is different than consent.”

‘EXACTLY – YOU MADE THE POINT!’: DeSantis battles with reporter, who accidentally shows how “deceptive” Florida’s abortion ballot initiative is

REPORTER: “This amendment does not require the change of parental notification [of abortion]-”

DESANTIS: “That’s not consent -… pic.twitter.com/MokAqSo9A4

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) April 17, 2024

As LifeNews.com has reported, the state’s highest court allowed the new heartbeat law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis to take effect that protects babies from abortions. But, unfortunately, that could quickly be reversed if Florida voters approved the radical ballot measure making abortions a right – which would enabled abortions up to birth.

All pro-life laws in Florida are at stake under a proposed constitutional amendment to enshrine all-trimester abortion that will be on Florida’s ballot this November under a second ruling that came from the court this afternoon.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled against Attorney General Ashley Moody’s challenge of the measure for using deceptive language and violating the state’s single-subject requirement.

Florida Right to Life president Lynda Bell described what the ruling decided.

“The majority ruled that it was not their job to invalidate the ballot language based on vagueness and ambiguity. They chose to leave the interpretation up to the voter. The majority seemed to be-satisfy because the ballot summary was consistent with the ballot language even though both the summary and the language are vague and ambiguous. The dissenting voices did not see it that way,” she explained to LifeNews.

If passed, this would allow for abortions to be performed throughout pregnancy for any reason and allow abortions to be performed by a “health care provider” not necessarily a doctor.

“The surprising decision to allow the deceptive, extreme and ambiguous ballot language concerning abortion is a real head scratcher” stated Bell. “I was hoping this was an April Fools joke.”

In an amicus brief, SBA Pro-Life America explained the amendment’s deceptive use of the word “viability” while at the same time allowing abortion in the third trimester as long as an abortionist approves. Last month, paid signature gatherers for the pro-abortion amendment were arrested for submitting fraudulent signatures.

SBA Pro-Life America issued the following statement from State Policy Director Katie Daniel of Tampa in response:

“We must oppose Prop 4. Not only will this measure bring dangerous late-term abortions back to Florida, but it will allow girls who aren’t old enough to get their ears pierced on their own get an abortion without a parent’s okay. Those girls and the women who have abortions will be put at risk when this measure eliminates every abortion health regulation on the books. In a state where 25% of abortion centers failed inspections it’s no surprise they want to be completely unregulated to increase their profits at the expense of women, girls and babies.”

Florida Voice for the Unborn also commented on the ruling and its director Andrew Shirvell told LifeNews:

“Florida Voice for the Unborn is profoundly disappointed in the Florida Supreme Court for deciding today to compromise with the abortion industry by allowing its misleading proposed constitutional amendment on this November’s General Election ballot, while taking way too long to finally issue, contemporaneously, its long-awaited decision to uphold 2022’s legislatively-enacted 15-Week Abortion Ban.  Nonetheless, by overturning prior case law that had improperly held that the privacy clause of the Florida Constitution encompassed a so-called ‘right’ to obtain an abortion within the state of Florida, today’s favorable decision on the 15-Week Abortion Ban means that 2023’s Heartbeat Protection Act is now slated to go into full effect, including the prohibition on the vast majority of Florida abortions after six-weeks’ gestation – and that is a silver lining in an otherwise dark day for Florida’s unborn children.”

Shirvell continued, “One cannot ‘compromise’ with evil – and the abortion industry is pure evil. Today’s ‘compromise’ decisions are simply unacceptable when five of the current seven sitting Justices on the Court were appointed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Clearly, grassroots pro-life advocates have been misled by elements within the ‘pro-life, pro-family establishment’ because Florida’s highest Court has now revealed itself to be a paper tiger when it comes to standing-up to the murderous abortion industry.”

The abortion measure is backed by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood with nearly one-third of the dollars raised for the abortion amendment coming from the abortion industry who will directly profit from expanded late-term abortions. Implications of the measure include:

• Abortion throughout pregnancy — the amendment leaves post-viability abortion for “health” to the discretion of the abortionist. Without defining “health,” courts have found that it can be based on non-medical factors, including mental, spiritual, financial or familial health. “Viability” is based solely on the abortionist’s judgment and would not include any baby who needs “extraordinary medical measures,” which could be as simple as a short stay in the NICU.
• The elimination of health and safety protections for women — Language on the fundamental right to abortion “without interference from the state” puts all of Florida’s medical safeguards at risk. This includes obtaining informed consent and performing a medical screening, seeing a physician in person or even seeing a medical professional at all.
• The removal of parental consent – Parents will not have the right of consent if their minor daughter seeks an abortion. They may also have no recourse if their daughter is harmed during the abortion.

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