Amendment 4, Vote No

Florida Court Rules Amendment 4 Financial Impact Statement Can Stand as Written

On July 25, the Florida First District Court of Appeals ruled that the financial impact statement dealing with Amendment 4 is appropriate and will stand as written.

In the state of Florida, all ballot initiatives must have a financial impact statement to properly inform voters of the cost to the state and the taxpayers. On June 10, Circuit judge John Cooper ruled that the outdated information in the financial impact statement “renders it inaccurate, ambiguous, misleading, unclear and confusing.”

The appeals court disagreed.

The financial impact statement reads as follows:

“The proposed amendment would result in significantly more abortions and fewer live births per year in Florida. The increase in abortions could be even greater if the amendment invalidates laws requiring parental consent before minors undergo abortions and those ensuring only licensed physicians perform abortions. There is also uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds. Litigation to resolve those and other uncertainties will result in additional costs to the state government and state courts that will negatively impact the state budget. An increase in abortions may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time. Because the fiscal impact of increased abortions on state and local revenues and costs cannot be estimated with precision, the total impact of the proposed amendment is indeterminate."

While we mostly agree with the statement, the following portion doesn’t go far enough: “(if) the amendment invalidates laws requiring parental consent before minors undergo abortions.”

Let me be clear, there is no “IF” about invalidating Parental Consent laws. They will absolutely be nullified and parents will not have the right to consent to their minor girl’s abortion. The only reason Parental Notification remains intact is because it’s in our constitution.

If amendment 4 were to pass, we would have abortion through birth with no limitations, no parental consent, and no health care standards. The only portion of the amendment that is clear is when they state the following: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay or restrict abortion…” [FloridaRightToLife]