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FL Amendment 4, constitutional right to abortion projected to fail

Meg Kinnard/AP

A woman supporting abortion-rights holds a sign outside the South Carolina Statehouse on Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. Protesters clashed outside a legislative building, where lawmakers were taking testimony as they consider new restrictions on abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning of Roe v. Wade. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

By: Leo Santos

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Florida Amendment 4 is projected to fail, with 57.3% voting yes. The amendment was sponsored by Floridians Protecting Freedom.

The Amendment needed 60% of Florida voters to be approved.

The amendment would have limited the government's interference in abortion, meaning it would have blocked any law or government from restricting an abortion before the fetus is viable outside the womb — also known as the point of viability. This usually occurs at about 24 weeks of pregnancy.

This was the language that voters saw on their ballots:

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.

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The amendment would have reversed Florida's six-week abortion ban currently in place and prevented state lawmakers from passing similar restrictions moving forward.

In June 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, which eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion. This then allowed states to set their own policies on abortion restrictions and access.