A ballot initiative aimed at enshrining abortion rights in the Florida Constitution drew another $509,328 in contributions during a week-long period at the end of June and in early July, a new finance report shows.
The Floridians Protecting Freedom political committee, which is leading efforts to pass the proposed constitutional amendment in November, had raised an overall total of $38.78 million as of July 5.
The $509,328 was raised from June 29 to July 5, and included a $250,000 contribution from Planned Parenthood and a $100,000 contribution from the Movement Voter Project, a political committee known for donating to Democratic-aligned political groups. More than 1,000 contributions were recorded during this period, and more than 90 percent were small-dollar contributions of $100 or less. Records show the committee had spent about $22.89 million as of July 5, including $160,375 during the recent week-long period.
Floridians Protecting Freedom, an alliance of local, state, and national groups in support of abortion rights, began the constitutional-amendment drive after the state Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a law in 2023 to prevent women from having abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The law officially went into effect May 1, leaving abortion clinics in a precarious situation and at risk for closure.
The proposal will appear as Amendment 4 on the November ballot in Florida, and, if passed, would extend Florida's limit on abortions from the current six weeks up to fetal viability, or roughly 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal says, in part, that 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.”
It would need approval from at least 60 percent of voters to pass and has drawn opposition from DeSantis and other state Republican leaders.
An opposition campaign, dubbed “Vote No on 4,” has also been launched to dissuade support for the proposal. Records show its political committee, dubbed Florida Voters Against Extremism, is primarily funded by Catholic dioceses. The committee has also received one $75,000 donation from Floridians for Conservative Values, a political committee associated with Republican State Sen. Clay Yarborough, and a $10,000 donation from a political committee associated with Republican State Sen. Erin Grall, who sponsored the Florida bill (SB 300) establishing a six-week abortion ban.
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The Floridians Protecting Freedom political committee, which is leading efforts to pass the proposed constitutional amendment in November, had raised an overall total of $38.78 million as of July 5.
The $509,328 was raised from June 29 to July 5, and included a $250,000 contribution from Planned Parenthood and a $100,000 contribution from the Movement Voter Project, a political committee known for donating to Democratic-aligned political groups. More than 1,000 contributions were recorded during this period, and more than 90 percent were small-dollar contributions of $100 or less. Records show the committee had spent about $22.89 million as of July 5, including $160,375 during the recent week-long period.
Floridians Protecting Freedom, an alliance of local, state, and national groups in support of abortion rights, began the constitutional-amendment drive after the state Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a law in 2023 to prevent women from having abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The law officially went into effect May 1, leaving abortion clinics in a precarious situation and at risk for closure.
The proposal will appear as Amendment 4 on the November ballot in Florida, and, if passed, would extend Florida's limit on abortions from the current six weeks up to fetal viability, or roughly 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal says, in part, that 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.”
It would need approval from at least 60 percent of voters to pass and has drawn opposition from DeSantis and other state Republican leaders.
An opposition campaign, dubbed “Vote No on 4,” has also been launched to dissuade support for the proposal. Records show its political committee, dubbed Florida Voters Against Extremism, is primarily funded by Catholic dioceses. The committee has also received one $75,000 donation from Floridians for Conservative Values, a political committee associated with Republican State Sen. Clay Yarborough, and a $10,000 donation from a political committee associated with Republican State Sen. Erin Grall, who sponsored the Florida bill (SB 300) establishing a six-week abortion ban.
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