Next month, Florida voters will decide whether to approve Amendment 4 to the state constitution. If 60% of voters approve of the amendment, the following language will be added to the Florida Constitution’s Declaration of Rights: “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.” Amendment 4 would also maintain the current constitutional provision that permits a law requiring parents to be notified before a minor can receive an abortion.
The Amendment 4 ballot initiative is a response to SB 300, which was approved by Florida lawmakers last year. The co-called “Heartbeat Protection Act” restricts abortions after six weeks of gestation if two physicians certify that the abortion is necessary to save the woman's life or “prevent a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function” or if two physicians certify that the fetus has a fatal fetal abnormality, or if a woman can provide documentation, such as a restraining order, police report, medical record, or court order, as evidence that the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, or human trafficking.
On Sunday, Oct. 27 the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples is hosting a “Forum on Four” community conversation to provide clarity on Amendment 4, and details on SB 300. It will be moderated by a woman who grew up in the Right to Life Movement but now hosts a podcast called “Right to Life” in which she’s been seeking clarity for herself and her listeners about these extremely complicated issues. We spoke on Oct. 3.
Guests:
Rebeca Seitz, founder of the 1C Story Network, producer and host of the "Right to Life" podcast, and publisher of Rebeca Books
Dr. Betsy Brothers, MD — Obstetrician & Gynecologist with Southwest Florida Women’s Group
James Chillemi, Managing Partner at Colosseum Counsel in Naples
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