(C) Florida Phoenix This story was originally published by Florida Phoenix and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Outside the FL Supreme Court, abortion rights advocates, opponents rallied for their cause [1] ['Mitch Perry', 'More From Author', '- February'] Date: 2024-02-07 While there was high drama inside the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday as justices heard oral arguments on the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion rights, supporters and opponents of the proposal were rallying for their cause outside. The anti-abortion group Florida Voice for the Unborn kicked off a half-hour press conference by featuring an appearance by Volusia County Republican House member Webster Barnaby, who in the fall of 2021 filed a bill which would have punished anyone who “performs or induces” an abortion on a fetus with a detectable fetal heartbeat, with a fine of $10,000 for each abortion performed or induced. “Praise the Lord everybody!” Barnaby shouted out to begin his remarks. “It’s the Lord’s! It does not belong to these baby killers. We’re here because we’re humans. Welcome to Planet Earth, where we love people from the womb to the tomb.” Also appearing from Texas was Frank Pavone, who heads the anti-abortion group Priests for Life and was defrocked by the Vatican in December 2022 for what it said were “blasphemous communications on social media” as well as “persistent disobedience” of his bishop. Despite the fact that abortion rights measures have won at the polls in seven different states over the past year-and-half since the Dobbs decision overturned a federal right to an abortion in America, Pavone maintained that it was a “fake narrative” that the pro-abortion rights movement was winning the hearts and minds of the American people. “Because America is not turning away from pro-life,” he maintained. “It is not embracing the extreme agenda that Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry represents, and it’s not difficult to come to that conclusion.” Shortly after that press conference concluded, there was one time when there was noticeable tension between the two camps congregating on the steps of the Florida Supreme Court. After the television cameramen moved their microphones to a side of the steps to prepare to interview the attorneys leaving the courtroom, members from the anti-abortion group merged in closely with the pro-abortion rights supporters, leading some of the cameramen to urge the public to back away from the microphones. A couple of anti-abortion advocates were then seen pushing their signs in front of pro-abortion rights supporters. Following the conclusion of the oral arguments around 10 a.m., Fentrice Driskell, an attorney and the Florida House Democratic Leader, said she thought that the legal team for Floridians Protecting Freedom — the advocacy organization getting the abortion rights measure on the ballot in November — had made a winning argument. “I thought that it seemed to me that the balance of the court was not impressed with the state’s arguments that [the ballot language] was unclear,” she said, adding that she was impressed with the justices’ questions to both sets of attorneys. “It is such a simple, elegantly crafted amendment,” said Driskell. “And for that reason, the plain language is very clear, and a common voter can understand it. So actually, I thought that the questions were on point. I love to see good lawyers doing good things, and I thought that’s what we saw today with the proper questions.” Mat Staver is head of the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel and with Florida Voters Against Extremism, who argued in the court against the proposed amendment. His comments to the media after the hearing appeared to be a hint of what opponents of the proposed amendment might make on the campaign trail later this year if the measure makes it on the ballot. “No law will stand if this amendment is passed, other than possibly parental notification with exceptions, but after that no law will pass,” Staver grimly predicted. “No law will stand. All the existing regulations and laws that are on the books will be gone, and no law will be able to be enacted in the future. And that includes parental consent, health and safety regulations with regards to clinics, how abortions can be done safely, or where they can be done.” Also appearing outside the courthouse after the hearing was Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, also an attorney. She said the ballot language is clear and understandable, and anything else coming from Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office is “disingenuous.” “The issue today is whether or not this is single subject, and whether or not it is confusing to the electorate. Both of those questions were answered in the affirmative. It’s a single subject, and it’s very clear language. Even the justices said the people of Florida are not stupid.” Fried said she was optimistic about how the high court will ultimately come down, but not without some reservations. “This court has veered extremely right and extremely conservative, but hopefully they go back to the fundamentals of what their job was today. Their job was to examine through the lens of single subject and making sure that it’s not confusing to the electorate. Every other argument going into other parts of our constitution is just irrelevant. It is very simple. The people of this state are asking to vote on this issue and the people deserve that chance.” [END] --- [1] Url: https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/07/outside-the-fl-supreme-court-abortion-rights-advocates-opponents-rallied-for-their-cause/ Published and (C) by Florida Phoenix Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/floridaphoenix/