Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday continued his push to get voters to reject Amendment 4 by appearing in Coral Gables alongside anti-abortion doctors, including one of his appointees to the Board of Medicine, to criticize the proposed abortion-access initiative.
The DeSantis administration has already enlisted agencies under the governor’s command to try to sway voters. But the event held Monday, the first day of early voting, and publicized by the governor’s office, functioned more like a campaign rally since it included a crowd of opponents to the measure — a “friendly audience,” according to Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski. The governor did not take any questions from news reporters.
Instead, DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez used the forum to rail against Amendment 4 as “radical” and said that if passed by voters it would result in repeal of a long line of existing abortion regulations, including those regarding the safety of abortions clinics, requirements for ultrasounds, and parental consent.
Nuñez during her remarks pushed people to vote down the amendment due to their faith.
“We cannot go to church and pray like Christians and turn around and vote like atheists,” said Nuñez, whose comments drew loud applause.
Florida Public Radio has written an explanation of some of what the amendment would and would not do.
Her remarks contrasted those made by BOM member Dr. Steven Christie, an oncological radiologist in Miami and creator of the website Speaking for the Unborn.
Christie, one of five physicians to speak during the event, insisted abortion wasn’t a religious issue.
“While many of our world’s major religions speak powerfully and elegantly and persuasively about the dignity of all human life, Amendment 4 is not a religious issue,” said Christie, one of five physicians to speak during the event.
“The physicians standing here beside me right now, they oppose Amendment 4 based on the science and the law, and social justice concerns, and morality, and ethics, and the visible evidence.”
Christie continued: “We have all taken an oath to do no harm to our patients. We don’t oppose this amendment simply because of our various religions. And by the way, we don’t all have the same religion here on stage. People of all religions or no religion at all should stand proudly against Amendment 4.”
Meanwhile, Erik Dellenback, who leads DeSantis’ faith initiative, has been appearing at churches encouraging congregations to vote against the amendment.
‘Weaponization of state government’
Anders Croy of DeSantis Watch, a project run by progressive groups, blasted the event as the “weaponization of state government.”
“Time and time again, Governor Ron DeSantis has abused taxpayer dollars in order to carry out his extreme agenda attacking the freedoms of his constituents, including when it comes to abortion care, while those patients seeking care, and the doctors trying to provide it, have come under attack from the same state government tasked with protecting their ability to be healthy, prosperous, and safe,” he said in a press release.
“What this misuse of taxpayer dollars makes clear is that the state government in Florida believes it is entitled to interfere in the private medical decisions of patients and doctors and shows once again why voters will be voting Yes on 4 to end this extreme abortion ban once and for all.”
State power
DeSantis consistently has used his broad administrative powers and state resources to beat back against Amendment 4, sponsored by Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF).
The Agency for Health Care Administration this summer used a state website to post anti-abortion information including a message that Amendment 4 threatens women’s safety. There were unsuccessful legal challenges filed in Leon County trial court and the Florida Supreme Court to have the information taken down.
AHCA, which regulates health care facilities, earlier this month denied an abortion clinic’s application for licensure even though an administrative law judge recommended the license be granted.
In August, AHCA ordered an abortion clinic to pay a $193,000 fine for failing to abide by a law requiring 24-hour waiting period for abortions. The fine was nearly triple what an administrative judge ordered. Because AHCA cannot sanction physicians it referred the doctor who performed the abortions, most of which were medical, to the Department of Health to prosecute. The DOH is recommending the Board of Medicine revoke the physician’s license.
The DOH on Oct. 3 sent letters threatening television stations airing a FPF ad supporting Amendment 4. FPF successfully sued the DeSantis administration in federal court. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker temporarily barred the health department from taking further action to stop broadcasters from airing political speech from the Yes on 4 campaign.
DeSantis’ appearance in Coral Gables came as a new University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Poll shows 60% support for Amendment 4. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus about 3-1/2 points. In order to pass, 60% of the voters must approve the amendment.
–Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix
Kat says
We all know that the founding fathers did at least one thing right by enshrining the separation of church and state. And now what we are reaping are decades of Republican appointed judges, setting the stage for this to be a Christian nationalist government.
jackson says
How long before we hear from most of the officials surrounding Desantis in the same way we heard from the Trump appointees. Desantis entrapped 3 men who did their time, left jail and then Desantis sent them voter registration forms and gave them the opportunity to vote (they did not know they lost their voting rights) and when they voted, he arrested all 3 of them, put them back in jail and he did it as a political stunt. I’m not allowed to say what he deserves for this action alone but suffice it to say, he’s done worse.
Ray W, says
New information in about the Florida Health Department lawyer who resigned his position after sending out letters to television stations that had been airing a commercial about a woman who had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer while pregnant with her second child. Without treatment, she would have died prior to giving birth. With treatment, her fetus would certainly not be born. The letters threatened criminal prosecution of television stations if the ads continued to air.
John Wilson, former general counsel for Florida’s Department of Health released an affidavit in which he revealed that he did not draft the letters at issue. Assistant General Counsel for Governor DeSantis sent drafts of the letter to him. He added that two other attorneys with the Governor’s office instructed him to send the letters under his name and letterhead, not theirs.
Make of this what you will.
Sue says
People in Florida already have abortion rights to the 6-7 weeks I believe.This one they can have an abortion up to the 9th month and that is killing an innocent baby. Not necessarily done by a doctor but a nurse practioner. They also can kill the baby by injecting a needle into it that will kill it !!! Really!!! Where is all the Catholic on this?? Don’t believe the,Tv ads. Vote no!
YankeeExPat says
Putz !
Deborah Coffey says
So sick of these stupid tin pot dictators. If we’re pro-choice, we’re atheists? OMG.
James says
Voted and it was a huge YES for #4. Lets require all MAGA Republicans get a vasectomy. Who do they think they are to control a womans rights to her own bodies. If they can do it to woman time we do it to them.
These are the ones that tell you their Christians and break every law in the bible for their own selfish greed.
Stop voting for the same corrupt politicians and do your research before voting.
JC says
Do you know when the six week timeframe starts? It starts from the women’s date of last period (which is the law, read it). If you go by this rule (normally a period cycle is 28 days), this is more of two week ban than anything else.
Your posts have some terrible misinformation on it.
I am not a biggest fan of the language on Amendment 4, but I did vote yes on it. In reality, the state is more moderate on this issue and they wish it was 12-15 weeks.
Citizen Woke says
Hey there Sue, take your own advice and don’t “believe the, Tv ads.” Republicans, like DeSantis, are spinning lies by the minute for the ignorant who believe whatever they are told in Republican ads. There is nothing in this amendment that allows an abortion in the “ninth month.” That would be murder, which is and always has been a criminal act. There is no such thing as an abortion in the ninth month!!!!!
Laurel says
Every judge, on my ballot, up for re-election, has been put in office by either DeSantis or Scott.
So much for fair justice.
Laurel says
You are supplying misinformation. Change the channel, get away from these manipulaters, and do some real research.
Laurel says
Oh, so now Republican Nunez is defining Christianity for us? How quaint.
Both Nunez and DeSantis should be aborted from office!
By the way, what’s wrong with being an atheist? Are the *Christians* judging?
Skibum says
James, you are on the right track. I’m not so sure about vasectomies for all Republican men, but if they want to have so much control over women’s bodies I do believe it would be appropriate to legislate that all women panels must first approve men to be able to purchase the little blue pills, and any man wanting their woman to have an abortion must first agree to a vasectomy. If it is control over a person’s body they want, then let there be equal justice so men can have a taste of their own medicine and experience a whole lot more control on them, as well as much more personal responsibility before they cause a women to become pregnant and need to have the medical care that men so love to deny them!
Jim says
Sixty percent is a high threshold to meet. I don’t know if the vote will reach that level. I do think it will be above 50% which will say that over half of the voters support more reasonable abortion laws in Florida.
I hope this passes with over 60% of the vote. If it does it will show DeSantis and the Republicans are out of touch with a majority of the citizens of this state. I think they are and this would be a great message to them.
James says
Well said, thank you.
James says
DeathSantis is so harmful to the Florida, he refuses to accept climate change, his book bans hiding the truth of Florida history is a disgrace, he claims to be a Christian but doesn’t follow anything a real Christian is. I was raised as a Chrisitan , we do not discriminate against gays, people from other countries, everything he is against. Stop lying to the people of Florida DeathSantis and racists like his idol Donald.
Skibum says
Despicable DeSantis never fails to take on a loosing battle. Whether it be his dumpster fire of a presidential bid, his homophobic anti-gay bias, his laughable attempt to ban books in schools despite the fact that kids are smarter than him and can easily find banned reading material on their phones and laptops, his ridiculous order to prohibit state government agencies and employees from daring to say “climate change”, his war against women’s rights to make their own healthcare decisions, or his farcical war on anything he considers to be “woke”, as if he even knows what the hell he is talking about, can we all say out loud and proud: LOOSER, LOOSER, LOOSER!!! I really wish he would just get a life! Or better yet, just go away. He has become such a bore and I think even a lot of Republicans in this state are now ignoring him and his pettiness.
Lets not do this anymore- sound off! says
It seems that DeSantis and those that support the impossible options for women and abortions, make it seem like women are demons who are using abortion as birth control. Never mind the medical issues that women face– they don’t seem to believe it or have any experience with someone they love. Never mind rape/incest– a woman can get an abortion in FL under these circumstances (remove the horror of the action) if they make a police report within a certain amount of time. Men abused by Catholic priests didn’t always come out within that amount of time, so RE-VICTIMIZING women to push them to report within a certain amount of time is CRUEL and UNJUST! It’s mind boggling that any woman or man would willingly get paid to misrepresent our current laws in commercials to fool voters so that….they can get hired for a sitcom or other job? Do they just accept what they are told and regurgitate on camera? It is so very frustrating to hear the lies over, and over, and over again during the day. Shame on you, DeSantis, shame on you, Republicans; shame on you actors/actresses; and shame on you ANYONE who is giving the partial truth to citizens (that are seemingly too lazy or stupid to fact check themselves). Thanks for letting the agenda of a few give sway to laws that politicize a person’s health. It’s not just the woman that suffers, but her husband, lover, partner, etc.; has to watch helplessly as the unthinkable is regulated by a few governmental dictators. It is time to say, “stop”, and time to fight back before we have lost more rights than we had just a decade ago.
DaleL says
Sue, Amendment 4 ballot proposal is clear. It restores the right to an abortion as it existed prior to Roe v. Wade being repealed. Fetal viability is the main determination. A healthy fetus becomes viable outside of the woman at about 24 weeks. Once the fetus is viable, medical providers cannot perform an abortion except under the most extreme conditions to protect the patient’s health.
The Bible is neutral as to abortion. There is even a passage, Numbers 5:11-31, in which a wife is forced to take an abortion causing drink as a test of faithfulness.
The Catholic “church” at one time burned Bibles, which had been translated into local languages and the people who translated them. The church did not want lay people reading the Bible. “…William Tyndale — who was burned at the stake on October 6, 1536 — was no lone renegade. Rather, he was a pivotal transitional figure, his work a step toward bringing direct experience of the Bible to a reading public.”
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/battle-for-the-bible-background/7158/
The Catholic church, DeSantis, and the rest don’t give a rat’s behind as to the health of women. They just seek power.
The proposed Amendment reads as follows:
“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.”
Finally, I vote like an Atheist because I am an Atheist.
Donald J Trump says
The Catholics are putting money into the offering plate to support the Pedifiles they call Priests. Time to expose them, especially the local ones.
JC says
I’m leaning that it will be close, but not 60%. I know a few middle of the road people who are voting no since they hate the language on A4 so much. I don’t like the language personally, since it is a little too vague, but I did vote yes.
Agreed says
This doesn’t surprise me. DeSantis is NOT to be trusted. He is untrustworthy and will make up his own rules and regulations. He has, along with Scott, helped pass laws that are made up by them. Very tricky political characters.