Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) on Thursday slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for saying November votes on constitutional amendments to enshrine abortion rights would not reach the 60% threshold, which is higher than the mark in other states.
“Once voters figure out how radical both of those are, they're going to fail. They are very, very extreme,” DeSantis said Thursday, referring as well to a proposed constitutional amendment, that is set to be on the ballot this November, to legalize recreational marijuana use for residents 21 and older.
“I wouldn't ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to make predictions, as he is a loser himself. And he does not know what winning looks like,” Eskamani responded in an interview later that evening with Joy-Ann Reid on her MSNBC show “The ReidOut.”
“We will achieve 60% on reproductive rights,” Eskamani continued. “Here in the Sunshine State, much like around the country, poll after poll tells us across party lines that support for reproductive freedom, and support to remove political interference, is successful. It is a winning issue, and I feel very confident after collecting more than a million verified signatures for this ballot issue to become reality — with 35% of those being signed by Republicans — that we will be able to codify abortion here in the Sunshine State.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, seven states have held voter referenda on whether to protect abortion rights — and abortion rights advocates are so far undefeated. But in Florida, the constitutional amendment will need 60% support to pass.
