Marjorie Dannenfelser, the anti-abortion advocate the Los Angeles Times called “perhaps more than any other woman … responsible for the fall of Roe v. Wade,” is now leading a political committee formed to oppose Amendment 4, the proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine the right to abortion in Florida.

Dannelfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, is chair of Protect Women Florida Action, which by the Phoenix’s count is at least the fifth political committee created to raise money to oppose the measure, which if approved in November would bar government interference in abortion in Florida up to the point of viability (around 24 weeks). Florida now bans most abortions after six weeks.

The group released a statement on Monday praising Gov. Ron DeSantis for his comments against the amendment at a Tampa high school last week.

“We heartily applaud Gov. DeSantis for his courage and tenacity in forging consensus to defeat Florida’s all-trimester abortion amendment,” Dannenfelser said. “The governor is leading the fight for women, girls, and unborn children to expose exactly what Big Abortion’s ballot measure would do.”

To be clear, the text of the amendment doesn’t say it would allow “all-trimester” abortions. In any case, second- and third-trimester abortions typically involve major fetal abnormalities and threats to the patient’s lives. Abortions beyond 21 weeks of gestation accounted for 0.4% of total abortions in the state in 2021, according to the latest available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Protect Women Florida Action has raised more than $48,000 since it began accepting donations in late April, according to the state’s Division of Elections website.

Dannenfelser criticized DeSantis last year after he neglected to directly answer a question about whether he would support a federal abortion ban. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced in April that he believes that the issue belongs to the individual states to decide, rejecting Susan B. Anthony’s support for a 15-week federal limit. The group called Trump’s statement “deeply disappointing.”

There are now eight states that have measures on the ballot this November that would protect abortion rights, according to KFF, a nonprofit source for health policy research.

“GOP leaders in states with abortion on the ballot this year must mirror DeSantis’ leadership to raise funds and use their platforms to educate the public,” said Dannenfelser. “Lives are at stake in November, and they must engage now to expose the deception and provide a counter to the major institutions that are going to bat to increase Planned Parenthood’s profits.”

Protect Women Florida Action is at least the fifth political committee formed in Florida to oppose Amendment 4. The others are Keep Florida Pro-Life, Florida Voters Against Extremism (a/k/a No on 4), Do No Harm Florida, and Life First PC
And DeSantis has said that his own political committee, the Florida Freedom Fund, would also work to oppose Amendment 4. That PAC has now raised more than $2.5 million.

The group advocating for the amendment, Floridians Protecting Freedom, has now raised more than $47 million. The measure needs to get 60% approval on November 5. A survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University released last week showed the measure coming up short, getting 56% approval.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and X.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.