A Florida judge has ruled against Floridians Protecting Freedom, a pro-abortion coalition which were angry about a state-run website opposing the coalition’s upcoming ballot initiative.
Last month, the group sued after the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which oversees the state’s Medicaid program, publicly expressed opposition to Amendment 4, which would enshrine the “right” to abortion in the state constitution. The website ran a banner ad which read, “Don’t let the fearmongers lie to you,” and added that Amendment 4 “threatens women’s safety.” At the bottom of the page, it read, “We must keep Florida from becoming an abortion tourism destination state.”
At the time of this writing, the message is not on the website, but can be seen here.
Floridians Protecting Freedom argued that the website violated their right to propose constitutional amendments, and asked that any websites or advertising materials be removed which “violate FPF’s (the committee’s) rights,” and for a judge to “enjoin AHCA (the Agency for Health Care Administration) from disseminating such advertising or other materials in the future.”
Judge Jonathan Sjostrom, however, refused, saying that the courts “must trust the people to decide what information is important to them.” He explained, “The constitution does not suggest a basis for the courts to intervene in the campaign by deciding which arguments for and against the proposal are meritorious or misleading.”
“This decision is a blow to democracy and reproductive freedom. By allowing AHCA to continue spreading falsehoods, the court is enabling government agencies to interfere with the people’s right to a fair and honest election,” Michelle Morton, staff attorney at the ACLU of Florida, said in a statement to the Florida Phoenix. “We will continue fighting to ensure that Floridians have the chance to vote on Amendment 4 based on facts, not fearmongering. We won’t stop advocating for the rights of Floridians to make personal health decisions free from government manipulation.”
A group of physicians recently came out in opposition to Amendment 4, agreeing with the AHCA that the amendment could be dangerous to women.
