The campaign against an amendment decriminalizing abortion today launched ads and websites trying to reach English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. The message in any language is that Amendment 4 more extreme than it seems.
Vote No On 4 kicks off its first ad campaign with a video titled "Not What It Seems." The two-minute spot calls the proposed constitutional amendment in November dangerously vague.
"Bait and Switch. Sleight of Hand. Smoke and Mirrors. All deceptions that make one thing seem like another," a narrator states. "Like Amendment 4, an 'abortion' amendment that's much more extreme than at first it seems."
The Florida Supreme Court in April approved ballot language for a measure that would reverse a ban on abortions six weeks into pregnancy that went into effect in Florida in May. While supporters have presented the proposed constitutional amendment as a return to Florida law before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, critics allege the measure goes much further.
"Amendment 4 was deceptively written to allow abortions throughout the entire pregnancy, even when the baby can feel the pain of the procedure, and to make abortion the only medical procedure that can be performed on a minor without a parent's consent," said Vote No On 4 Florida President Dr. Mary J. O'Sullivan, Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Miami Medical School.
"By allowing any so-called 'healthcare provider' – not just doctors – to determine fetal viability and approve late-term abortions, Amendment 4 essentially gives abortion clinics a rubber stamp to approve abortions in the third trimester, up to and including the last month of pregnancy."
The ad drills that message in, noting prior constitutional amendments appearing on ballots often contained specific definitions. But Amendment 4 doesn't define essential terms like "viability" and "patient's health," while replacing parent "consent" for minors to obtain an abortion with only a requirement for "notification."
"This 'small' trick is a big scam," the ad states.
"They didn't have to write Amendment 4 this way, but they did. Why? Because they want to deceive you—to make their extreme amendment seem reasonable."
The ad campaign said approving Amendment 4 would effectively allow abortions without any effective restriction.
"No law shall prohibit any abortion at any time for any reason determined by abortion clinic employees. This amendment makes abortion the only medical procedure your child can undergo without your consent," the law states.
As the ad debuts, organizers say they have also grown a network of dedicated volunteers and aim to reach 80% of the electorate with its messaging. The campaign enjoys grassroots support, organizers said, as opposed to relying on liberal mega-donor George Soros, as supporters of Amendment 4 have done.
Constitutional amendments in Florida require 60% of voters to support measures on the ballot to pass.
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