The Quickie: Florida Spending Millions of Taxpayer Dollars on Anti-Amendment 4 Ads

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: FL spending taxpayer money on campaign against abortion amendment and Senate Democrats push to protect repro rights.

FLORIDA SPENDING MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON ANTI-AMENDMENT 4 ADS: Yesterday, new reporting showed that the state of Florida is spending millions of dollars to campaign against Amendment 4 and spread disinformation about abortion. The agencies sponsoring the ads include FL’s Agency for Health Care Administration, Department of Children and Families, and Department of Health — agencies that should be responsible for campaigns supporting Florida women and children. 

“As Floridians prepare for a major hurricane, the state of Florida is airing TV ads during the local news to dissuade voters from protecting their freedom,” Lauren Brenzel, Yes on 4 campaign director, said in a statement to Rolling Stone on Tuesday. “The government of Florida is choosing to use millions of taxpayer dollars to spread disinformation to voters about abortion instead of helping Floridians deal with the potential catastrophic destruction that could come from Hurricane Helene.”

Read more from Rolling Stone.

SENATE DEMS KEEP FIGHTING FOR REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM — BUT ANTI-ABORTION LAWMAKERS JUST BLOCKED ACTION TO REAFFIRM ACCESS TO EMERGENCY CARE: Senate Democrats made yet another push to protect reproductive rights and abortion access before leaving for recess — and yesterday was a particularly big day. And as predicted, anti-abortion Senators from the Republican caucus are still a broken record, obstructing and spreading lies at every turn. Here’s what went down yesterday: 

Senate Democrats brought two critical measures to the floor, both of which were blocked from passing by anti-abortion Republican senators. Here’s what Republicans objected to:

• Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) brought up a resolution she introduced last week alongside Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to affirm that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care. Senate Republicans won’t even agree to the simple notion that people should have access to life-saving care. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) blocked the resolution. 
  • Senator Murray joined champions Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Maizie Hirono (D-HI) to speak out at a press conference and delivered powerful remarks on the Senate floor yesterday, saying “Here in America, in the 21st century, pregnant women are suffering and dying — not because doctors don’t know how to save them, but because doctors don’t know if Republicans will let them.” 
• Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) brought up a bill to support people who are forced to travel to access abortion care — a reality for many of those living in states with post-Dobbs abortion bans. This bill would help offset the heavy financial burden of the cost of gas, flights, overnight stays, child care, lost wages, and more. Unfortunately, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) blocked it. 

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the Chaos and Confusion of Abortion Bans: The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Ron Wyden (D - OR), dug into the life-threatening implications and harm to providers caused by the abortion bans now in effect in 22 states across the country. 

Louisiana resident Kaitlyn Joshua bravely testified about how she was denied emergency miscarriage care at two different hospitals after her state’s ban went into place. "Practically overnight these laws were compromising health care for all pregnant patients,” Joshua said. 

Dr. Amelia Huntsberger explained the heartbreaking professional and personal cost to providers and broad implications for all health care in a must watch exchange with Sen. Bennet (D-CO).

As expected, anti-abortion senators touted straight up lies and gaslighting narratives, with Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) at one point saying the title of the hearing was more dangerous than the actual laws in place that are putting lives in danger. 

Thankfully Professor Michele Goodwin came with the receipts, and so did we: new research shows more women are being charged with pregnancy-related crimes since the fall of Roe. So yet another example that the name of the hearing is not more dangerous than the real life implications of abortion bans for people's health, lives and freedom.