Florida Health Agency Targets Abortion Rights Ballot Measure

The Florida agency charged with regulating health care providers, including abortion clinics, publicly opposed a proposed ballot amendment that would guarantee abortion rights, a move that critics say is unethical and also, perhaps, a violation of state law.

“Florida Is Protecting Life,” reads the top of a website by the Agency for Health Care Administration. “Don’t let the fearmongers lie to you.”

The declaration, which was promoted on the social media platform X on Thursday by Jason Weida, the agency secretary, claims that the proposed amendment, known as Amendment 4, “threatens women’s safety.” It lists several examples of what it says is the “truth” about the amendment’s effects, using language typically employed by campaigns in favor of or against a ballot question. The website also includes data on political donations to the pro-amendment campaign.

The website seems to be an aggressive move by the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis against the ballot measure, which would allow abortions in Florida “before viability,” usually up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Polls suggest that a majority of Florida voters favor the measure, though it would need more than 60 percent support to pass in November.

Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, has vowed to defeat the measure and has been raising money in a political committee against Amendment 4. But Governor DeSantis is an elected official. Mr. Weida, his appointed secretary, is not, nor are other agency employees.

“You’re not supposed to use your position in state government for electioneering,” said State Representative Anna V. Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat, adding that the agency “crossed a line.” “If you’re going to do electioneering, you’ve got to provide a financial disclosure. There’s all sorts of question marks here.”