Vote No on 4 Campaign Launches to Defeat The Deceptive and Extreme Amendment 4

Click here to see:
Website and Video in English 
Website and Video in Spanish

Tallahassee, FL – Today, Vote No On 4 Florida formally launched its multilingual campaign to defeat Amendment 4 on the upcoming November ballot with the unveiling of new websites in both English and Spanish and the rollout of its first campaign video entitled “Not What it Seems” which exposes the deceptive nature and extreme ramifications of Amendment 4.  The 2-minute video reveals that while other amendments provide clear definitions, the 34-word Amendment 4 fails to define any of its terms, including crucial words like “viability,” “healthcare provider,” and “patient’s health,” leaving voters in the dark about its true impact. 

“Amendment 4 was deceptively written to allow abortions throughout the entire pregnancy, even when the baby can feel the pain of the procedure, and to make abortion the only medical procedure that can be performed on a minor without a parent’s consent,” said Vote No On 4 Florida President Dr. Mary J. O’Sullivan, Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Miami Medical School.  “By allowing any so-called ‘healthcare provider’ – not just doctors – to determine fetal viability and approve late-term abortions, Amendment 4 essentially gives abortion clinics a rubber stamp to approve abortions in the third trimester, up to and including the last month of pregnancy.” 

The Vote No On 4 Florida campaign is gaining momentum with strong grassroots support and is mobilizing thousands of Floridians across the state, with county organizers assembling a grassroots network throughout Florida that is currently capable of reaching nearly 80% of the Florida electorate. These volunteers will campaign throughout Florida to inform voters that Amendment 4 is “way too extreme, and not what it seems.” 

In contrast, Amendment 4 is being heavily bankrolled by out-of-state special interest groups, including the abortion industry and George Soros’ Open Society Fund, which support abortion at any time during pregnancy. Outrageously, Amendment 4’s primary funding organization once lobbied against a bill to require emergency medical treatment for babies born alive during an abortion procedure. Thankfully, that bill passed the Florida legislature unanimously, despite the lobbying efforts of Amendment 4’s lead financial and political backer. 

For information on how to get involved, visit www.VoteNoOn4Florida.com. 

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DONATE TO DEFEAT AMENDMENT 4

The post Vote No on 4 Campaign Launches to Defeat The Deceptive and Extreme Amendment 4 appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Watch this brief 1-minute video for the latest update on the Florida Abortion Amendment.

Dear Friends,

Sadly, today, Florida’s Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision, ruled that the deceptive and extreme “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion” will appear on the November ballot as Amendment #4.

We are extremely disappointed with this unfortunate Court ruling, but let us be clear, this is only a minor setback to our goal of defeating this dangerous and extreme amendment!

On a positive note, the Court did rule, 6-1, to uphold the 15-week protection for the unborn bill, which in turn triggers the implementation of the Heartbeat Bill, protecting babies in the state of Florida after 6 weeks. However, in light of the Court allowing Amendment #4 on the ballot, these 2 life bills will be gutted if this dangerous amendment passes in November!

Make no mistake: the stakes could not be higher in this battle! Amendment 4 would enshrine abortion until the moment of birth as a fundamental right in our state’s constitution and wipe out decades of common-sense laws that are protecting the rights and safety of the unborn and their mothers!

Amendment 4 doesn’t tell voters that it fails to define key terms like “viability” or “patient’s health” – leaving it up to a so-called “healthcare provider” to make all of these critical determinations. That’s how Amendment 4 would allow late-term abortions, when a baby is capable of feeling pain, with no protections for the baby. Then, most outrageously, it doesn’t tell voters that this “healthcare provider” doesn’t have to be an actual medical doctor but could be any person from a long list of health-related fields, even a non-medical employee of an abortion clinic!

These loopholes render meaningless the parts of Amendment 4 that were cleverly worded to look like safeguards. Worse yet, Amendment 4 would prohibit state agencies or the legislature from enacting any laws to protect parents’ rights and provide for informed consent in Florida. In the cases of a minor seeking an abortion, Amendment 4 is written to sound like it protects parental involvement by mentioning that it would allow for parental notification, but what it doesn’t tell voters is that it would actually gut Florida’s existing parental consent laws!

Why do abortion extremists want to enshrine abortion in our constitution? As highlighted in this National Review article from last week:

“The proponents, largely funded by Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses, the ACLU, and Open Society Fund, have already spent $15 million in their efforts to turn Florida into the late-term abortion destination of the southeast U.S. and the Caribbean.”

The sponsors of this extreme amendment want to legalize abortion up to the moment of birth and to repeal all limitations and regulations on abortion – even safety regulations that protect women – because they want to make Florida the home of late-term abortions in the Southeast.

Floridians don’t support these extreme abortion policies, and our campaign has to make sure that they won’t be fooled by the misleading language of the amendment.

That is why Florida Family Action is joining the coalition led by Florida Voters Against Extremism to fight back against this dangerous amendment. FVAE has officially launched their website and social media platforms, and we need YOU to get involved! Visit their new website, www.TooExtremeForFL.com to find out more about the dangers of this radical abortion initiative and how to spread the word.

Sign up for email alerts here on their website, and stay tuned for updates on the next steps in fighting this dangerous amendment.

Follow them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter
Follow them on Instagram
Ask your friends to do the same! 

We must get the word out!

This bad dangerous amendment will be on the November ballot. Will you join our fight to STOP abortion extremists from turning Florida into an abortion destination?

For life, 

Aaron DiPietro, Political Director, Florida Family Action

Click the graphic below for a downloadable PDF flyer.

Florida Family Action
P.O. Box 530103
Orlando, Florida 32853-0103
info@FLfamily.org
Phone: 407-418-0250

The post BREAKING NEWS: Florida Abortion Amendment Ruling appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Watch this brief 1-minute video for the latest update on the Florida Abortion Amendment.

Dear Friends,

Florida’s Supreme Court will rule within the next few days whether voters will see the deceptive “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion” on the November ballot.

How extreme is this amendment? It would allow abortion until the moment of birth with no protections for the unborn baby. While the amendment sounds like it keeps parental involvement in the case of a minor seeking an abortion, it would actually eliminate Florida’s parental consent laws. Additionally, the “healthcare provider” that makes determinations regarding “viability” and the “patient’s health” to allow a late-term abortion could be a non-medical abortion clinic employee. 

Why do abortion extremists want to enshrine abortion in our constitution? As highlighted in a National Review article from this week:

“The proponents, largely funded by Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses, the ACLU, and Open Society Fund, have already spent $15 million in their efforts to turn Florida into the late-term abortion destination of the southeast U.S. and the Caribbean.”

The sponsors of this extreme amendment want to legalize abortion up to the moment of birth and to repeal all limitations and regulations on abortion – even safety regulations that protect women – because they want to make Florida the home of late-term abortions in the Southeast. 

Our Media Producer, Noah Fay, and I recently broke down this amendment and just how dangerous it is on the latest episode of our show, FLORIDA FOCUS. You can watch this episode below:

Floridians don’t support these extreme abortion policies and our campaign has to make sure that they won’t be fooled by the misleading language of the proposed amendment. 

Florida Family Action is joining the coalition led by Florida Voters Against Extremism to fight back against this dangerous amendment. FVAE has officially launched their website and social media platforms, and we need YOU to get involved! Visit their new website, www.tooextremeforfl.com, to find out more about the dangers of this radical abortion initiative and how to spread the word.

Sign up for email alerts here on their website, and stay tuned for updates on the next steps in fighting this dangerous amendment.

Follow them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter
Follow them on Instagram

Ask your friends to do the same! 

We must get the word out!

In the next few days, we will find out if this amendment will be on the November ballot. Will you join our fight to STOP abortion extremists from turning Florida into an abortion destination? 

Wishing you and your family a joyous and blessed Easter!

For life, 

Aaron DiPietro, Political Director, Florida Family Action

Click the graphic below for a downloadable PDF flyer.

Florida Family Action
P.O. Box 530103
Orlando, Florida 32853-0103
info@FLfamily.org
Phone: 407-418-0250

The post The Abortion Amendment is Not What It Seems–and It’s Way Too Extreme. appeared first on Florida Family Action.

“This effort to hoodwink the Florida electorate should be rebuffed,” Moody said in a brief filed with the court.

The amendment is written in a way that its many loopholes are disguised as safeguards, allowing any “health care provider” – not just doctors – to determine if a fetus is viable and what health concern would justify a late term or even full-term abortion. The Attorney General’s brief pointed out that even a non-medical staff person at an abortion clinic could potentially make this determination if the amendment were to pass.

These deliberate loopholes mean that the amendment would allow abortion right up to the moment of birth, including when a baby is capable of feeling pain with no protections for the unborn baby.

Because the amendment bans any government regulation of abortion, it would nullify even modest regulations on the abortion industry that almost everyone supports – including laws regarding safe and sanitary practices, the law requiring parental consent for minor children to have an abortion, and laws against late term abortions when babies can feel the pain of the procedure.

“Voters have a right to know what an amendment actually does,” said Dr. Mary Jo O’Sullivan, President of Florida Voters Against Extremism, a group established to oppose the amendment which also had a brief before the court on this matter. “This amendment’s implications are overly broad, and its true purpose and intent are hidden from Florida Voters. That is why it should be rejected by the Court.”

“This amendment is misleading on so many levels and is completely out of touch with the positions of the majority of Floridians,” said Aaron DiPietro, Political Director, Florida Family Action, while heading into the Supreme Court to hear oral arguments. “Florida voters deserve honesty and transparency when it comes to ballot initiatives attempting to alter the constitution of our state. This deceptive initiative absolutely fails these tests and deserves to be called out by the Florida Supreme Court.”

The amendment is bankrolled by extreme abortion interests who once lobbied against a Florida Law requiring medical care in the rare instances when a baby is born alive during an abortion procedure. These extremists spent over $15 million on out-of-state petition gathering firms to gather signatures required for ballot placement.

For more information, visit TooExtremeforFL.com.

The post EXTREME ABORTION AMENDMENT FAILS TO TELL VOTERS WHAT IT REALLY DOES appeared first on Florida Family Action.

The post Statement from FFA appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Change in Endorsement for the City Council of Winter Springs  

Orlando, FL—Each election cycle we issue our preferred “picks” to support candidates in local races. Our selections in non-partisan municipal races seek to identify candidates with a sound conservative governing philosophy. The role of city government is primarily limited to core services.

Unfortunately, our research into Winter Springs revealed several critical failures including multiple Consent Orders issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for issues surrounding the water system in Winter Springs. We believe conservatism should balance stewardship of our environment with the rights of individuals, a view which has been championed by the DeSantis administration.

The damage done by the Winter Springs water utility which necessitated the Florida Department of Environmental Protection action made it clear a change in leadership in Winter Springs is needed. This resulted in our endorsement of Victoria Colangelo and Cade Resnick for the city commission, and either Mark Caruso or Brandon Morrisey for Mayor.  

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The post FFA Announces Change in Endorsement for City Council of Winter Springs appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey Caught Gas Lighting and Lying to Citizens Who Called Him.  He told Citizens Our Claim that there will be a Drag Queen Story Time is “Baseless and Completely False”

The event has now been documented & scheduled with details online this Saturday. Please call and write the Mayor (and the other members of the City Council) again and give him the facts and tell them to pull the permit for the event. 

Please continue to call & email the Mayor and now also the City of Melbourne Commissioners who have given official permission through a permit by the City to LGBTQ activists to conduct a “Drag Queen Story Hour” targeting small children as part of the “Space Coast Pride Event” this Saturday, September 24, 2022. 

Drag Queen Story Time will take place during the Pride festival on the Spotlight Stage. Story times will take place at 1 p.m. with Momma Ashley Rose, 2:30 p.m. with Shelita Taylor, and 4:30 p.m. with Bridgette Galore.  See the schedule which includes a “kid zone” here:

Instructions to take action now below:

This is outrageous and needs to be stopped. 

WE MUST PROTECT CHILDREN.

These activities expose our children to sexualized behaviors and highly inappropriate conduct.

Call first and then also email the Mayor of Melbourne and every member of the City Council and tell them to “pull the permit to conduct these activities!”

Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey
321- 508-4339
Paul.alfrey@mlbfl.org

District 1 Council Member Tim Thomas
321-223-1016
Tim.Thomas@mlbfl.org

District 2 Council Member Mark LaRusso
321-432-3841 
mark.larusso@mlbfl.org

District 3 Council Member Yvonne Minus
321-591-7054
Yvonne.Minus@mlbfl.org

District 4 Council Member Debbie Thomas
321-508-7171 
Debbie.Thomas@mlbfl.org

District 5 Council Member Mimi Hanley
321-290-2712
mimi.hanley@mlbfl.org

Vice Mayor and District 6 Council Member Julie Sanders
321-290-6110  
julie.sanders@mlbfl.org

The post BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Mayor Paul Alfrey caught lying to citizens contacting him. Drag Queen Story Time documented to go down this Saturday. appeared first on Florida Family Action.

(Orlando, FL) Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Judge Renatha Francis and South Florida attorney John Couriel to the Florida Supreme Court. These two appointments replace former Justices Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck, who were both promoted to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta by President Trump last year.

Judge Renatha Francis currently sits as a trial court judge on the 15th Circuit Court in Palm Beach, a position she was appointed to by Governor DeSantis in 2019 and immediately prior to that served as a county court judge in Miami-Dade County.

John Couriel is a highly respected lawyer and a partner at law firm Kobre & Kim LLP based in Miami where he specializes in the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, money laundering, extradition and cross-border frauds involving financial products and services.

Florida Family Policy Council President John Stemberger issued the following statement today regarding these appointments:

“Judge Renatha Francis is a woman with an extraordinary life story, solid character and deep faith. She is highly qualified with the unique perspectives of having served as a County Court judge, a Circuit Court judge, and ten years as a judicial law clerk for the First District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee. As a wife, mother and former business owner Judge Francis will bring valuable real life experiences with her to the court. I know her personally and she is also clear on the limited and restrained role of the court and is a “textualist” in the tradition of Clarence Thomas in her interpretation of the Constitution. As the first Jamaican American Justice on the Florida Supreme Court, Francis is an experienced and brilliant choice for Florida’s future.”

“Attorney John Couriel is a highly respected lawyer with stellar credentials and a conservative judicial philosophy. Born in Miami, Florida, Couriel graduated from Harvard magna cum laude and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He has served as a law clerk to the Hon. John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court, D.D.C. He also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida for five years. Couriel is a member of the Federalist Society and speaks both English and Spanish fluently. Couriel is giving up an extremely lucrative salary to serve on our state’s highest court. When I served on the Judicial Nominating Commission for eight years we were always impressed when we found candidates who were not pursuing judicial positions motivated by an increase in salary. This is not the first time a practicing lawyer who has never served as a judge to be promoted directly to the Florida high court. Several past Florida justices have.”

Renatha Francis’ and John Couriel’s appointments will fill the final vacancy left on the Court after Justices Lagoa and Luck left late last year. However, there is a legal nuance about Francis’ appointment. The Florida Constitution requires a Florida Supreme Court Justice to be a member of the Florida Bar as a lawyer for at least 10 years. Judge Francis’ bar membership began on September 24, 2010, which means that she could not fill the seat until later this year after September 24, 2020. However, both conservative and liberal legal scholars say that she can legally be appointed and not assume the office until September. Of interest, Judge Francis’ appointment was supported by many prominent black lawmakers, including the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators and the Legislative Black Caucus. The Supreme Court has been without either a woman or African-American member since Justice Peggy A. Quince resigned in 2019.

Personal Background and Professional Bio of Renatha Francis:
Judge Renatha Francis was born in Portmore, Jamaica, in 1977. Francis is a past student of St Hugh’s High school and the University of the West Indies, Mona, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in law. Afterwards, she migrated to the US, where she received her Juris-Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida in 2010. She primarily represented insurance providers in personal injury protection litigation matters, specializing in the interpretation and application of automobile insurance policies. In 2017, Francis was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to the Miami-Dade County Court. In 2018, she was appointed to the 11th Circuit Court, and in 2019, to the 15th Circuit Court. She lives in South Florida with her husband Philip Fender and their son, Joshua.

Renatha Francis’ 59 page application to the Judicial Nominating Commission can be found here:
https://www-media.floridabar.org/uploads/2019/12/Francis_Redacted.pdf

Renatha Francis’ interview before the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission can be watched on video from 34:50 to 1:04:40 here: https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/1-11-20-florida-supreme-court-judicial-nominating-commission-part-2/

Personal Background and Professional Bio of John Couriel:
John Couriel’s 68-page application to the Judicial Nominating Commission can be found here: https://www-media.floridabar.org/uploads/2019/12/Couriel_Redacted.pdf

John Couriel’s interview with the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission can be watched on video from 29:00 to 56:20 here: https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/1-11-20-florida-supreme-court-judicial-nominating-commission-part-1/

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Florida Family Policy Council
4853 S. Orange Ave, Suite C, Orlando, FL 32806
Info@FLfamily.org  *  Phone:  407-251-5130

The post Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Renatha Francis and John Couriel To Fill Vacancies on Florida Supreme Court appeared first on Florida Family Action.

The Online, Paperless Process is Built for Churches with a Goal of Registering One Million New Voters

(Washington, DC) The Florida Family Policy Council announced today a major nationwide voter registration effort during the start of the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC.  The campaign, “Called to Vote,” will be available in all 50 states focusing on the truth that “all Christians are called to vote and honor God even when the choices are hard.” 

The CalledToVote.org website directs churches and voters in 38 states to their state’s online voter registration process, which is completely paperless.  The site includes instructions for churches on how to organize their own drive and also a six-week curriculum for sermons, Bible studies, Sunday Schools and / or home groups including powerful video resources.  

FFPC President John Stemberger stated:

“The 2018 elections in Florida were simply way to close.  There are millions of Floridians who are Christians but either don’t vote or are not registered.  This needs to change.  Our goal is to register 150,000 new voters in Florida and 1 million new voters across the country.  We will be inviting our sister state organizations in the Family Policy Council movement nationwide to participate with us in using this tool to spark a massive voter registration effort in churches. Too many Christians are sitting out and apathetic because they don’t like the choices.  We believe that as Christians in America we are all called to vote and honor God by participating, even when the choices are hard.  Registering new voters is Biblical, legal, and easy for churches to participate in.”

The CalledToVote.org website has links and information to all 50 states voter registration sites but only the 38 states that have online registration can use the completely paperless system.  Everything a church needs to participate can be located at CalledToVote.org.

For more information contact:
Media@FLfamily.org or call 407-251-5130
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Florida Family Policy Council
4853 S. Orange Ave, Suite C, Orlando, FL 32806
Info@FLfamily.org  *  Phone:  407-251-5130

The post FLORIDA FAMILY POLICY COUNCIL LAUNCHES “CALLED TO VOTE” NATIONWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN appeared first on Florida Family Action.

GOVERNOR DESANTIS MAKES FINAL HISTORIC CONSERVATIVE APPOINTMENT
TO THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT

 The appointment of Carlos Muñiz is expected
to complete the transformation of Florida’s highest court
into a judicial body with the most reliably consistent and conservative judicial philosophy in the country.

(Tallahassee, FL) Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Carlos Muñiz to the Florida Supreme Court. Carlos currently serves as the General Counsel at the US Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

Florida Family Policy Council President John Stemberger issued the following statement today regarding the governor’s final appointment:

“Carlos Muñiz is a man of deep faith and enduring principles.  As a person, he is very smart, no-nonsense, and humble.  As a lawyer, he is extraordinarily experienced and possesses an even-handed temperament.  His credentials and reputation as a sharp legal mind committed to a restrained and conservative judicial philosophy is unquestioned.

The appointments of Judges Barbara Lagoa, Robert Luck, and now Carlos Muñiz to the Florida Supreme Court have completely transformed the court into a judicial body with the potential to have the most reliably consistent and conservative judicial philosophy in the country.  Each of these judicial appointments to the court are highly and uniquely qualified, possess excellent judicial temperament, and are genuinely humble people committed to faith, family and serving their community.  Most importantly, each of them understands the limited role of the court, to interpret law and not make it.  The addition of these three new justices to the supreme court is a game-changer for Florida’s future.  I—along with many other conservative leaders in Florida—praise Governor DeSantis for appointing these outstanding individuals and cementing his legacy for bold leadership early on, which will have a positive affect our state for decades to come.”

Personal and Professional Bio of Carlos Muñiz: Carlos Muñiz is the General Counsel at the US Department of Education in Washington, D.C., appointed by President Donald Trump. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Muñiz speaks fluent English and Spanish and received his Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. Justice Muñiz began his career as a judicial law clerk for Judge Thomas A. Flannery of the US District Court, District of Columbia, and then served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Jose A. Cabranes of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, New Haven, Connecticut. Since then, Justice Muñiz has gained experience as the deputy attorney general and chief of staff in the Office of the Attorney General, Tallahassee, FL; deputy chief of staff and counsel at the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tallahassee, FL; and as deputy general counsel for then-governor Jeb Bush. Muñiz is a textualist and believes firmly in the rule of law.

He has been a member of the Federalist Society since law school and has served his community as a civil rights analyst for the US Department of Justice and a policy director for the Republican Party of Florida. Justice Muñiz and his family, while living in Tallahassee, have been parishioners of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. He also attends mass at two other Catholic parishes, Thomas More and Saint Luis. The Muniz family are supporters of Open Door Women’s Clinic in Tallahassee, a pro-life pregnancy center and homeschool their children.

Read Carlos Muniz Supreme Court JNC Application (26 pages).

Watch Judge Luck’s Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) interview.

Read Judge Luck’s 57-page JNC Application.

Watch Judge Lagoa’s interview with the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission from 2:15 to 28:30.

Read Judge Lagoa’s 144-page application to the Judicial Nominating Commission.

For more information, contact
Media@FLfamily.org
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The post Governor DeSantis Makes Final Historic Conservative Appointment To The Florida Supreme Court appeared first on Florida Family Action.