Illinois governor's pro-abortion rights group sinks money into Florida ballot question

CHICAGO, Ill.— Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s policy advocacy group is sinking resources into a Florida ballot initiative that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, an announcement that comes one day before the state’s six-week abortion ban is to go into effect.

Think Big America, Pritzker’s not-for-profit group that has funded abortion rights efforts across the country, told NBC News Tuesday it is donating $500,000 to the Floridians Protecting Freedom ballot initiative campaign. The funding follows Think Big’s donation of $1 million to Nevada for its ballot campaign and $250,000 so far toward Arizona’s ballot campaign.

Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit Florida on Wednesday, to bring attention to the abortion restrictions, which President Joe Biden's administration has framed as an example of Donald Trump’s legacy after appointing three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to reverse Roe v. Wade.

“The Democratic Party is really energized by … the attention that we are receiving from the administration,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a Tuesday news availability. “They understand that if you want to protect democracy and freedom across the entire country, that you have to come to the belly of the beast, which is here in the state of Florida.”

The ballot measure in Florida, which would go before voters in November, seeks a state constitutional amendment to bar restrictions on abortion before fetal viability, considered to be at about the 24th week of pregnancy. It would include exceptions past that point for “the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

Think Big America senior staff will provide “strategic” support, including research, financial, and communications support to the Florida abortion rights campaign, said Christina Amestoy, a spokeswoman with Think Big.

“Tomorrow, women in Florida will be stripped of nearly all their reproductive rights. An extreme, six-week abortion ban is dangerous, cruel, and un-American,” Amestoy said in a statement. “Restoring abortion access in Florida is critical not just for women in the state but for women across the region. Think Big America is proud to support Floridians Protecting Freedom as they fight to ensure women have the rights they are owed.”

Last week, another Democratic governor announced an effort to offer abortion rights protections to women. California's Gavin Newsom backed a proposal allowing Arizona doctors to perform abortion services for Arizona residents in California through the end of the calendar year. That proposal came after a top court ruling in Arizona triggered an 1864 law that was a near total ban on the procedure. The Arizona state House has voted to repeal the law.