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WATCH • REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM

As Governor: Restoring Reproductive Freedom in Florida

David Jolly for Florida Published: 2026-05-21 Last updated: 2026-05-21
David Jolly on restoring reproductive freedom in Florida

Key moments

0:05

"We have to be a state that restores reproductive freedom, that recognizes the constitutional liberty of everyone to have bodily autonomy."

0:24

"That has been the construct of Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood. That was good enough for 50 years. It should be good enough for another 50 years."

0:53

"I will be a pro-choice governor who also speaks openly about my faith convictions. I don't see those in conflict."

What this video covers

This is where David Jolly says plainly what kind of governor he would be on reproductive freedom. Faith and freedom. Not a conflict. A conviction.

What's said

The argument is simple. Florida should restore the framework of Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, the standard that governed the country for nearly fifty years[1]. See the video at 0:24 for the full case, and the Reproductive Freedom issue page for the full plan.

Transcript

Verified transcript of the video above.

0:05 Look, as governor, as a governor who practices a personal, private, Christian faith. I will also be a governor who understands that we have to be a state that restores reproductive freedom, that recognizes the constitutional liberty of everyone to have bodily autonomy, the right to make their own healthcare decisions, and yes, to be a governor that ensures safe access to that health care.
0:32 And so, as governor, I'll fight for the language that Florida's voters approved. Language in Amendment 4 that leads with reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, but also recognizes that at some point there is an interest of the state in fetal viability. That has been the construct of Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood.
0:53 That was good enough for 50 years. It should be good enough for another 50 years. And as governor, I will be a pro-choice governor who also speaks openly about my faith convictions. I don't see those in conflict.

Related questions

Is Jolly pro-choice if he is a Christian?

Jolly is explicit on this: "As a governor who practices a personal, private, Christian faith, I will also be a governor who understands that we have to be a state that restores reproductive freedom... I will be a pro-choice governor who also speaks openly about my faith convictions. I don't see those in conflict." His framing treats personal religious belief as compatible with public-policy support for bodily autonomy. See the video at 0:53 for his full take.

How would Jolly restore reproductive freedom in Florida?

Through statutory codification. He proposes passing a Florida statute that replicates the Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood framework: abortion legal until fetal viability (approximately 23 to 24 weeks); state regulation thereafter only where necessary to protect maternal life or health; the "undue burden" standard from Casey governing any pre-viability regulations[2]. See the video at 0:32 for the framework in his own words.

Does Jolly want to ban abortion entirely?

No. Jolly is explicitly pro-choice and his policy restores access. He proposes replacing Florida's 6-week ban with a Roe/Casey-framework statute permitting abortion until fetal viability with state regulation thereafter except where necessary to protect maternal life or health[1]. This is the same framework that governed U.S. abortion law from 1973 through June 2022. See the video at 0:42.

Why does the Roe/Casey framework matter?

It was politically stable for nearly fifty years because it balanced competing interests in a way most people could live with. Pre-viability, women have decision-making authority over their own pregnancies; post-viability, the state can restrict abortion but must allow medical exceptions[2]. Jolly's framing at 0:42: "That was good enough for 50 years. It should be good enough for another 50 years."

More on this topic

OverviewRestoring Reproductive Freedom In depthWhat reproductive rights will David Jolly protect as governor? In depthWhat happens if I have a miscarriage in Florida? In depthHow can David Jolly be pro-choice and a Christian?

Sources

  1. U.S. Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade , https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/410/113/ · 1973-01-22
  2. Legal Information Institute, Planned Parenthood v. Casey , https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/91-744.ZS.html · 1992-06-29

Faith and freedom. Not a conflict.

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