### DeSantis Intensifies Efforts to Defeat Florida's Amendment 4 on Abortion

Governor Ron DeSantis has significantly ramped up his campaign to oppose Amendment 4, an abortion-rights measure that stands to become one of the most hotly contested ballot questions in Florida this year. DeSantis, who signed a stringent six-week abortion ban last year, has emerged as the face of the movement striving to defeat the proposal.

This measure, Amendment 4, aims to permit abortions "before viability"—a period roughly estimated at 24 weeks of pregnancy—or when necessary to protect the patient's health as determined by medical providers. Previously, Florida law allowed abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy until 2022.

DeSantis's aggressive stance has stirred significant controversy. At a recent state party dinner, he publicly called on Florida Republicans to declare their positions on the amendment, ratcheting up pressure on his party. “Every one of our elected representatives needs to say where they stand on this,” he announced, signaling that silence or non-participation would not be tolerated.

The stakes are high, as Florida law requires ballot questions to achieve a 60 percent vote to pass. Public opinion polls show Amendment 4 hovering near this threshold, with some surveys indicating slightly lower support. For instance, a poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College found endorsement among likely voters at just 46 percent.

Both sides of the debate have mobilized substantial financial and organizational resources. Since June, DeSantis’s Florida Freedom Fund has raised over $6 million, while the separate Florida Voters Against Extremism has accumulated more than $3 million to support the "Vote No on 4" campaign. On the other side, Floridians Protecting Freedom, promoting the "Yes on 4" campaign, has directed more than $89 million—most of which funded a petition drive to secure the measure on the ballot.

Amendment 4 has encountered robust opposition from various quarters within the state government. Several departments, including the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health, have publicly opposed the measure, calling into question its potential legal and financial impacts. Additionally, a Republican-led state panel added a controversial financial statement to the ballot warning of high litigation costs and reduced revenues, which proponents of the amendment have dismissed as biased and speculative.

Grassroots efforts have also intensified. Anti-abortion groups have been active in faith communities, particularly among Hispanic pastors. Recently, an assembly of over 500 people convened at a basketball arena in Ave Maria for an anti-Amendment 4 rally, underscoring the measure's broad reach and divisiveness.

As the debate escalates, DeSantis and his allies continue to crisscross the state, campaigning vigorously in conjunction with anti-abortion doctors and religious leaders. The governor’s vocal opposition to Amendment 4 underscores the deep political and moral divides the issue has ignited across Florida.