Florida’s Amendment 4, which sought to enshrine abortion rights in Florida’s constitution failed by a thin margin on Tuesday after it came short of the 60% vote threshold needed to pass. The final vote tally was 57.1% in favor and 41.9% against.
MSNBC correspondent Joy Reid said that Gov. Ron DeSantis is digging his heels in to be the greatest denier of women’s rights
“Gov. Desantis has bet his political future on being the champion of denying women their rights over their own bodies,” she told Rachel Maddow on Election Night. “He is thinking of a future in which he would like to inherit inherit Donald Trump’s white evangelical base and he’s decided that this is his marker”
The amendment needed 60% of the vote to pass, but since it’s projected to lose, the six-week abortion ban will remain in place.
“He’s been willing to use really the awesome powers of the state to try to intimidate and bully even television stations in the state from running ads in favor of that protection,” she added.
Watch the full exchange here:
Reid added that she thinks Florida will struggle attracting corporate headquarters and investment because of DeSantis’s “routine bullying of companies,” referencing Disney and cruise lines.
“It’s a pure Project 2025 administration in Florida,” she said. “That kind of extremist right wing, fascist type government in Florida. Does that make it a more attractive place or does it make it more like some of the other Southern states that don’t get as much investment?”
