Florida 1199ers joined forces with a coalition of reproductive rights supporters to put the issue of abortion on the November 2024 general election ballot. On January 5, the activists announced that they had gathered enough signatures give Floridians the chance to vote down a potential six-week abortion ban.

Election officials verified 910,946 petitions submitted by Floridians Protecting Freedom, which is 20,000 more signatures than are needed to get the issue onto the ballot.

Deborah Montgomery, an 1199 RN and mother of a teenaged daughter, has consistently championed the need to protect abortion rights. “I’m insulted and incensed by the deep intrusion and radical attacks on women’s healthcare and reproductive rights by Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, and the GOP legislature.”

As a lactation nurse who works directly with new mothers and babies, Montgomery has seen firsthand the tragedies that result from dangerous, forced or unwanted pregnancies. Babies arrive in the

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with little hope for a healthy, happy life, and young mothers and families face heartbreak.

The petition announcement demonstrates strong support for women’s reproductive freedom amongst Florida voters.