FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 24, 2022
Contact: Sean Keady, sean.keady@berlinrosen.com, 202-725-4156
ABORTION INJUSTICE INC. SHINES LIGHT ON FLORIDA COMPANIES FUNDING ABORTION RESTRICTIONS
Companies like Disney, Florida Blue, FPL, Publix, Geo Group, and more donated millions of dollars to anti-abortion lawmakers, according to public data compiled by Floridians for Reproductive Freedom
ST. PETERSBURG – Over the past two years, dozens of Florida corporations have given millions in campaign donations to the campaigns of lawmakers who voted for the 15-week abortion ban signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis last month. Companies like Walt Disney, Florida Blue, Florida Power and Light, Publix, Geo Group, U.S. Sugar Corporation, Florida Hospital Association, NBCUniversal (Universal Studios) rank among the most prolific donors funneling money to anti-abortion lawmakers, according to publically-available data compiled by Floridians for Reproductive Freedom (FRF) as part of its newly launched “Abortion Injustice Inc.” campaign.
“Corporations must be held accountable for donating to anti-abortion politicians, and Floridians deserve to know what these companies are doing with their money,” said Amy Weintraub, Reproductive Rights Program Director for Progress Florida. “Abortion access should be equitable and available for all who need it, when they need it, wherever they need it, without shame or stigma. Decisions around someone’s pregnancy are incredibly personal and should remain their own – not politicians.
“Florida corporations should be in the business of serving their communities, their employees, and their customers, not funneling money to politicians attacking the rights of the very people they employ and serve,” said Weintraub. “Floridians deserve better. From their elected officials. From their communities. From their health care providers. From the corporations that employ them and their families, friends, and loved ones.”
Abortion Injustice Inc. was launched to spotlight corporate donations to anti-abortion lawmakers and enhance the public’s understanding of the role these companies played in the passage of Florida’s abortion ban. As the data shows, Florida’s abortion ban, alongside other abortion restrictions like the 2015 Florida law mandating 24 hour waiting periods for abortions, were funded in no small part by Florida-based companies, many of whom espouse equity and health care access as core corporate values.
Below is a list of some of these corporations, including the total amounts they donated to sponsors and co-sponsors of HB5, Florida’s 15-week abortion ban, between 2020 – 2022:
- The Walt Disney Company – $927,359.81
- NBCUniversal – $204,000.00
- Publix – $422,500.00
- Florida Blue – $1,036,500.00
- Florida Power and Light (FPL) – $685,912.52
- Florida Hospital Association (FHA) – $541,800.00
- GEO Group – $457,800.00
- U.S. Sugar Corporation – $911,500.00
About Florida’s 15-Week Ban
Last month, Governor DeSantis signed into a law an abortion ban that makes it illegal to end a pregnancy after 15 weeks, with no exceptions for most fetal diagnoses or in the cases of rape or incest. This ban will deny Floridians access to an essential health care service. Research confirms that reliance on the ability to access abortion has contributed to gains for women — in education, economics, employment, professional advancement, and mental and physical health. The right to abortion is fundamental to a person’s participation in the social and economic life of the nation.
Those most impacted by the ban will include Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color who do not have access to quality, culturally responsive health care, from abortion to prenatal care to preventive care for many reasons including racism and structural inequity. Further, young people and people of color face additional barriers because they are more likely to live on lower incomes and face greater difficulty getting time off work and school and arranging travel.
About Floridians for Reproductive Freedom
Floridians for Reproductive Freedom is a coalition of more than 60 reproductive rights organizations that are united to educate about the importance of, and advocate for, convenient, affordable, and safe access to the full range of reproductive health care – from abortion to birth control to evidence-based sex education. We do this by exposing the flawed programs and policies pushed by anti-abortion organizations and policy-makers. We promote policies, programs, and reforms that advance the social and economic benefits of reproductive freedom. We envision a future where all Floridians have access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion, with dignity and respect.
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