The narrow defeat of a proposal to expand abortion rights in Florida is motivating some people to donate money to groups that support abortion rights, including funds that help people pay for abortion care.
The The Abortion Fund of Tampa Bay received more than $20,000 in just the first few days after Tuesday’s election, with about 100 people donating, according to director of case management Bree Wallace.
Just over 57% of voters approved Amendment 4, which would have allowed abortions until fetal viability — usually around 24 weeks into pregnancy — or after that if a patient’s caregivers deemed it necessary. But the operation failed because unlike most states, Florida requires 60% of the vote for constitutional amendments to pass.
This means a six-week abortion ban with limited exceptions remains in effect.
“People are mad, and when you’re mad you donate, you get out in your community you organize, you fundraise and I think that’s what people are doing right now,” Wallace said.
For Wallace and other abortion fund employees, the news on election night was devastating, but it didn’t change their mission.
“We all got good shouts and went right back to the work we’ve been doing,” Wallace said.
Abortion funds help cover meeting and travel costs for people who need an abortion. Groups in Florida are paying for women to receive care within the state if they are not yet six weeks pregnant. For those who have passed that mark, money helps them travel out of state to have an abortion, which can be really expensive.
Stephanie Colombini
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WUSF
The Abortion Fund of Tampa Bay has helped 150 people travel out of state for care since the six-week ban went into effect in May. That’s three times as many as it did in the first four months of this year, when a 15-week ban was in place.
The demand for out-of-state travel assistance also increased the cost of Emergency medical assistancean abortion fund based in Palm Beach County. The group is on pace to spend $550,000 this year, up from $320,000 last year, according to executive director Jessica Hatem.
“The money that this costs to be able to support people is huge, it’s huge. And I think people realize that, but at the same time the need and the circumstances will only get worse, she says.
The increased spending is also due in part to a national partner’s decision to cut funding for patient support this year, Hatem said leaving local funds with more costs to cover.
Emergency Medical Assistance has also seen more money come in since the election, although Hatem said, at least so far, that there is not as much of an increase in so-called “rage gives” as funds around the country watched after Roe v. Wade was overthrown.
These donations died out as people moved on to other issues. Any boost in funding is great, Wallace said, but she would prefer to see continued support.
“We might be stuck with (a six-week abortion ban) for another two, four or more years depending on, you know, what we can do about it. So I think it’s really just trying to get donations no matter what, even unless it’s headline news,” she said.
Courtesy of Jessica Hatem
Opponents of Amendment 4 celebrate its defeat, along with residents in the countryside in central and northwest Florida accounting for a large number of “no” votes. While some defend the six-week abortion ban, other abortion opponents call for even tighter restrictions.
“The only realistic way to ensure that Florida becomes completely abortion-free is for the Legislature to approve full legal protections for unborn children, from the moment of conception,” Andrew Shirvell, executive director of Florida Voice for the Unbornsaid in a statement on Tuesday night.
Advocates on both sides of the issue say they will continue the fight for abortion rights in the next legislative session, which begins in March.
But for abortion funds, Hatem said community outreach is more of a priority, both for fundraising and other efforts. In addition to paying for abortion care, staff and volunteers distribute preventive and emergency contraception in the areas they serve and provide residents with reproductive health information.
Ramping up these initiatives in the new year will be critical to building long-term support, she said.
“So as long as we can still get our message out and show up for our communities again, these are wins for us,” Hatem said.
You can find an abortion fund that serves your community on this website.
