AHCA Website vs. 'Yes on 4' Ad Battle it Out in Florida’s Abortion Amendment Showdown

TALLAHASSEE, FL—One day after a state healthcare agency released a controversial advertisement opposing Florida's abortion amendment, the campaign to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution dropped its first TV ad Tuesday morning telling Floridians that they have two options: keep a "dangerous" six-week-ban in place, or vote to allow abortion until around 24 weeks.

The ad entitled "Before" was created by the advocacy group Floridians Protecting Freedom's Yes on 4 campaign, the same organization that collected nearly a million signatures—some of which are being investigated by the DeSantis administration for potential fraud—to place Amendment 4 on the November ballot.

"Before many women know they're pregnant, before their first doctor's appointment, before a doctor can see anything, this is when government in Florida has banned abortion," the 30-second ad begins, revealing each sentence over an empty ultrasound video. "An extreme abortion ban with no real exceptions—not for her health, not even for rape—a ban where government decides, not you."

"That's why Florida must vote yes on Amendment 4, to stop the dangerous ban, because government will never know better than a woman and her doctor," it concludes, showing a bubbled-in "yes" selected on the ballot initiative.

On Monday, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), released an ad of its own exalting the state for funding initiatives to support women and highlighting that "no woman can go to jail for having an abortion"—contradicting a far-left fear that eventually, abortion laws will progress to the point of criminally charging women who have had abortions. Under current law, no state penalizes a woman for having an illegal abortion, though Florida, Indiana, and Missouri all impose felonies for doctors who abort a viable fetus.

In Alabama, a provider can face life imprisonment while in Mississippi they can face up to 10 years in prison for performing an abortion of a viable fetus.

AHCA's ad also points out that Florida women can get an abortion to save the life of the mother, before a heartbeat is detected, and in the cases of rape or incest. At the end of the ad, it tells Floridians to go to their controversial new website FloridaHealthFinder.com for "accurate information". The website, Democrats pointed out, openly advocates against Amendment 4 with language like: "Amendment 4 threatens women's safety" while juxtaposing "facts" versus "myths" of the amendment.

Opponents of the website have claimed that according to Florida statute, it is illegal for state resources to campaign for or against a partisan issue. Gov. Ron DeSantis and some Republicans, however, have argued that "everything is above board" and the site simply provides "public service announcements" to curious residents.

DeSantis and the Republican Party of Florida are vehemently opposed to Amendment 4, citing fears of vague and "radical" language that could lead to "partial-birth abortions" and allow "chiropractors" to perform the procedure. Earlier this week, it was revealed that police have visited the homes of some Floridians who signed the petition to get Amendment 4 on the ballot.

Why? Because, DeSantis says, some people may have fraudulently signed the petitions.

Amendment 4 was borne from Florida's six-week abortion ban, passed in 2023 and enacted May 1 of this year after the state Supreme Court decided it was legal, despite concerns from some on the left. In response to the ban, Floridians Protecting Freedom began to collect signatures to get Amendment 4 on the ballot because they claimed six weeks is "too extreme."

After a brief legal spat, the state Supreme Court agreed to put the amendment to the voters on Nov. 5. If 60% of Floridians say "yes" to it, abortion access until fetal viability will become a part of the state constitution.