Florida's Amendment 4: A Deceptive, Vague, and Extreme Abortion Amendment

TALLAHASSSE, FL - A proposed constitutional abortion amendment in Florida is Amendment 4. According to pro-life supporters, this amendment is intentionally deceptive, vague, and extreme. The amendment would allow abortion for any reason even up to birth. Not even parental or informed consent laws or health and safety regulations would survive in the state. 

Ballot language: No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.

Amendment 4 leaves the terms “viability,” “health care provider,” and “health” virtually undefined. While the amendment would allow unrestricted abortion before viability, after viability, the amendment would empower all 58 categories of practitioners the state recognizes – some of which without medical training – as sole authority to determine “viability” or when an abortion is necessary. Since “health” is also undefined, abortion would be allowed at any stage of pregnancy for any medical reason.