The court’s decision is a victory for the Amendment 4 campaign, which seeks to limit government interference with abortion
TALLAHASSEE, FL – In a significant legal victory, Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF) successfully moved the court to vacate the automatic stay of yesterday’s final order granting summary judgment in FPF’s favor.
The automatic stay of FPF’s initial victory came into effect as soon as the State appealed the court’s June 10th decision. But, given today’s ruling, the court’s initial decision will go back into effect. Therefore, the Financial Impact Estimating Conference (FIEC) must redraft the Financial Impact Statement (FIS). The court found the original FIS to be “unlawfully inaccurate, ambiguous, misleading, unclear, and confusing.” As a result of this ruling, Florida voters will be presented with an accurate FIS when they see the ballot with the proposed Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion (Amendment 4) in November.
The court recognized the compelling circumstances that warranted vacating the stay, emphasizing that allowing the misleading FIS to remain would contravene its core purpose of accurately informing voters about the amendment. This ruling affirms the need for clear and accurate presentation of information to voters, and it mandates that the FIEC redraft the statements.
“Floridians deserve clear and accurate information on their ballot. It is unacceptable for the state to mislead the people on such a critical issue,” stated Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. “This ruling will help ensure voters are informed when voting on Amendment 4, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the rights of individuals to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.”
This legal victory underscores the importance of transparency and honesty in the democratic process, ensuring that the voices of Floridians are heard and respected.
