Orlando, FL: Earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis released a four-page memo to legislative leaders outlining his policy proposals for the upcoming Special Session. Though the bulk of the memo and media attention has centered on immigration, page four outlines dramatic changes to the citizen ballot initiative process, including a sneaky attempt to make it nearly impossible for Floridians to ever end the state’s near-total abortion ban via the Constitutional Amendment.
Let us explain. Page 4, bullet point 6 reads: “Require Supreme Court advisory opinions to evaluate initiative petitions for compliance with inalienable rights clause of Article I, section 2 of the Florida Constitution.” This is known as the “basic rights” clause. Anti-abortion activists and attorneys have argued that zygotes, embryos & fetuses should qualify as “natural persons” under this basic rights clause. And six of the seven current justices on the Florida Supreme Court – including all five appointed by Ron DeSantis – have signaled that they agree with that argument.
This means that the proposed Special Session is not just about immigration— it is also about permanently banning abortion access in the State of Florida. Here is Rep. Eskamani’s statement in response:
“Governor Ron DeSantis is once again putting his extreme agenda ahead of the will of the people. More than 57% of Floridians have made it clear they want to end the state’s near-total abortion ban, but instead of listening, the Governor is doubling down on an attempt to permanently strip away reproductive rights. By leveraging anti-immigrant rhetoric as a distraction, he’s quietly paving the way to block any chance for Floridians to restore abortion access through the citizen initiative process. This underhanded move cannot go unchecked. I strongly oppose the Governor’s proposed Special Session and urge every Floridian to stand up and fight for our freedoms, our democracy, and our future.”