A ballot initiative of significant importance to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is nearing approval, a development he is reportedly opposed to, as indicated by recent polling data. Floridians are showing increasing backing for a proposed measure aimed at limiting the state government’s authority over abortion regulations, despite DeSantis’s attempts to characterize the proposal as “radical.”

Recent polling conducted by Emerson College has shown a rise in voter support for Amendment 4, which seeks to enshrine a constitutional right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability, approximately 23 weeks into pregnancy. The survey results indicated that 53.2 percent of voters plan to cast their ballots in favor, while 29.8 percent expressed opposition. This represents a significant increase from an April poll, which recorded support at 42.4 percent, as reported by Newsweek.

“In poll after poll, we’re encouraged to see that the overwhelming majority of Floridians support ending Florida’s extreme abortion ban by passing Amendment 4,” Keisha Mulfort, senior communications strategist at the ACLU in Florida, told the outlet on Wednesday. “Recent polling makes clear that turnout will be the deciding factor, especially with the state’s coordinated effort to spread misinformation and confuse voters,” she added.

DeSantis announced that the ballot measure would allow abortion “all the way up until birth for virtually any reason.”

“It eliminated parental consent for minors,” he said. “In Florida, if you want to prescribe a minor Tylenol, you have got to get parental consent, but somehow they’re going to take abortion out of that.”

According to the language of the amendment, it says: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”

DeSantis expressed concerns that the amendment would allow “healthcare providers” to perform abortions rather than licensed physicians, which he suggested could result in “very dangerous situations.” He contended that as voters became more aware of the ramifications of Amendment 4, their enthusiasm for the proposal diminished.

On Monday, DeSantis convened a press conference featuring healthcare professionals who are against the amendment. One participant remarked that mothers who allegedly died due to the abortion ban actually succumbed to medical negligence, as reported by Newsweek.

Earlier this month, the governor criticized Vice President Kamala Harris after she accused him of neglecting her phone call in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. In an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, DeSantis condemned Harris for what he viewed as an overt effort to politicize the natural disasters and enhance her campaign.

“I didn’t even know she was trying to reach me, but she has no role in this process, and I’ve been dealing with these storms in Florida under both Trump and Biden. Neither of them ever politicized it,” he said. “And, in fact, all the storms I’ve dealt with under this administration – although I’ve worked well with [President Biden] – she has never called in Florida. She has never offered any support.”

“So, what she’s doing is she’s trying to inject herself into this because of her political campaign,” he continued, noting he’s busy trying to save lives. “I don’t have time for those games.”