Marco Dems Hear About Reproductive Rights Ballot Petition

Almost 60 Democratic Women’s Club Marco members and guests attended a Zoom presentation by Lauren Brenzel, the Campaign Director for Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF).

Ms. Brenzel explained that Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF) is a statewide non-partisan campaign of allied organizations and concerned citizens working together to protect every Floridian woman’s right to bodily autonomy and access to reproductive health care, free of political or government intrusion.  

She also explained that FPF and its coalition partners are working to limit politicians and the government’s intrusion into healthcare decisions that should be made by women, their families, and their doctors. This includes whether they may need, for medical and other reasons, to terminate a pregnancy.  

She noted that the six-week abortion ban enacted by Florida earlier this year severely restricts the freedom of a woman and her doctor to make health care decisions, especially since many women don’t even know they’re pregnant by six weeks. The six-week ban also endangers women who experience pregnancy-related health issues after six weeks, some of which are life-threatening to the woman.

Ms. Benzel advised that FPF is working in concert with over 200 national and local organizations and 100 healthcare professionals to ask Florida citizens to sign the 891,589 validated petitions that are required to get an amendment to the Florida Constitution on the 2024 ballot so that Floridians, not politicians and bureaucrats, can make their health care decisions.  

The amendment would not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.  

She also explained that before the proposed amendment is added to the 2024 ballot, it must be reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court and at least 60% of Floridian voters will have to vote in favor of the amendment during the 2024 election for it to pass.

The Collier County Democratic Party and the DWCMarco have been collecting petitions supporting the proposed amendment. Ms. Benzel told the audience that while FPF has collected over 50% of the required number of petitions, not all of them have been validated to count towards the 891,589 petitions that are required to get the amendment on the 2024 ballot.

More information about FPF and the proposed amendment, including the petition that you can download and sign, is at FloridiansProtectingFreedom.org.

The next DWCMarco meeting is on September 12 and will again be via Zoom so our many members who travel during the summer and fall can participate from wherever they are. Our featured guest speaker will be Melissa Blazier, Collier County Supervisor of Elections. Registration is required.