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Backers of abortion initiative sue over new financial impact summary

"All of this is just to ensure that they get to put buzzwords on the ballot,” said Yes On Four Campaign Chief Lauren Brenzel.
Backers of abortion initiative call new finical impact summary "speculative beyond speculative"
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Supporters of an amendment to change Florida's abortion law have filed a lawsuit against the state after new ballot language was added about a potential cost for voters.

The lawsuit was filed with the Florida Supreme Court Thursday afternoon.

According to the lawsuit, "this Court should invalidate the Statement as the fruit of an unlawful process."


Amendment 4 lawsuit by ABC Action News

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs targeted how the state put together the statement during the appellate process following a meeting of state economists who spent more than 10 hours crafting the new summary.

At the request of state House and Senate leaders, the panel rewrote the previous language after Florida’s six-week abortion ban took effect in May.

The latest version of the summary includes lines saying there is “uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds." Plus, a suggestion that an increase in abortions “may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time.”

The state of Florida said it was expecting a lawsuit over the ballot language before Thursday's filing.

Amendment Four needs a supermajority of 60% support to pass.

A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.

Florida nursing home patients were 'side by side, head to toe' with no air conditioning, food