Florida too may have an abortion referendum in November

AS A PROTEST slogan, “Stop Political Interference” does not trip lightly off the tongue. But to abortion-rights activists brandishing signs with the phrase on the steps of Florida’s Supreme Court on February 7th, it cut to the heart of their precarious campaign. Inside the court that morning, judges were debating whether to allow Florida voters to decide a ballot question in November that would codify a right to abortion in the state constitution. Campaigners collected more than a million signatures to qualify the initiative, but it remains uncertain whether voters will be permitted to have a say.Florida is one of 13 states considering ballot measures related to abortion this year. National attention is likely to turn to those in Arizona and Nevada, where Democrats hope the initiatives will bolster turnout in the swing states. A successful referendum in Florida would have a greater impact on abortion access. Currently, the procedure is legal in the state up to 15 weeks of pregnancy—the most liberal regime in the Deep South. Florida has become a destination for women living in and is now third in the country for number of abortions, according to the Society of Family Planning, a non-profit group.