Comment on Florida urges rejection of abortion ‘financial impact statement’ ruling

TALLAHASSEE — A state panel will meet in July to consider revising a “financial impact statement” that has touched off a legal fight as Floridians prepare to vote this fall on a proposed constitutional amendment about abortion rights. But while revisions could be coming, state lawyers Thursday argued that an appeals court should reject a Leon County circuit judge’s ruling that would force changes in the financial impact statement. The state lawyers filed a 50-page brief at the 1st District Court of Appeal contending that Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper did not have the authority to order the panel, known as the Financial Impact Estimating Conference, to redraft the statement.