As we’ve previously noted on this blog, Christian Nationalist groups hate democracy. We saw more proof of this recently in Florida, where an extremist group is trying to stop people from voting on a ballot referendum to protect reproductive rights.
Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit last week asserting that Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF), the organization that is leading the campaign to protect reproductive rights in the state, engaged in fraud and corruption in collecting signatures to put the matter on the ballot.
It’s nonsense. Religion Clause Blog reported that in its lawsuit, Liberty Counsel leans heavily on a report issued by the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security, a division of the Florida Department of State. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida called that report “lengthy but factually baffling” and noted that it made “nonsensical claims about a few hundred petitions, which would have had no effect on the campaign meeting the statutory requirements.”
FPF submitted more than one million signatures to put the initiative, known as Amendment 4, on the ballot. This was 100,000 more signatures than were required. Obviously, if a few hundred signatures were deemed invalid, that would in no way come close to jeopardizing the amendment’s place on the ballot.
Furthermore, Florida officials had an opportunity earlier this year to object to signatures on the petitions. As the ACLU points out, they failed to do so – probably because they knew full well that the vast majority of the signatures were legitimate. The Florida Supreme Court agreed; it ruled April 1 that Amendment 4 was in line with Florida law and approved it for the ballot.
In Florida, ballot measures must reach 60% approval to pass. Some polls show Amendment 4 is already there. Liberty Counsel’s lawsuit is a desperate bid to stop the citizens of Florida from doing what voters in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Vermont have already done – protecting access to abortion.
The prospect of that happening in Florida terrifies Liberty Counsel so much they’ll try just about anything to stifle the voice of the people.
P.S. Americans United is urging Floridians to vote YES on Amendment 4. Residents of the Sunshine State can learn more here.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
