TALLAHASSEE, Florida (LifeSiteNews) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis picked a pro-life legislator and adoptee to serve as his new lieutenant governor.
Jay Collins joined the DeSantis administration last week. He replaces former Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nuñez, who took a job as the new president of Florida International University. Collins began serving in the Florida state senate in 2023. He also served in the U.S. Army for more than two decades, according to his biography.
The selection of Collins has drawn praise from pro-life groups. “While Collins has a limited record on life issues, he is solidly pro-life and voted in favor of our Heartbeat bill,” Florida Right to Life stated in a news release. Similarly, pro-abortion group FL Choice Tracker said Collins is “anti-choice,” which means he generally supports protections for innocent preborn babies.
Collins has previously explained his opposition to abortion, which stems from being adopted as a child.
“I am – since day one – I am pro-God, I am pro-gun, and I am pro-life. Ultimately, I’m adopted. I have fought to protect children from day one. I think that if you read what is on those pages, it’s frightening. It is unfettered, unregulated, unequivocally wrong,” he said in September 2024 at a GOP dinner, commenting on Amendment 4.
The proposed amendment, which was defeated in November of last year, would have essentially wiped away all pro-life protections and legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. Gov. DeSantis and his administration fought vigorously against its passage.
“Abortion from anybody. It doesn’t have to be a doctor. It could be anybody performing these things in a medical environment. This is from the first day of viability, all the way to partial-birth abortions,” Collins also said, as reported by The Floridian.
“It’s scary. We have to stand up for what we believe in. We have to fight for what is right. If we don’t do it, nobody will,” he reportedly said.
He also explained how being adopted shaped his worldview.
“Ultimately, I’m blessed to have been adopted. I’m blessed to be able to fight for the rights of people who, frankly, can’t fight for themselves, and you know, God willing, we defeat this amendment, and we can continue to protect those who really can’t protect themselves,” he said. “We’ve got to focus on the task at hand. I think often we take our eyes off the prize. This is about winning.”
Florida’s heartbeat law, which Collins supported, generally prohibits abortion at six weeks’ gestation. However, it also includes exceptions for “fetal anomalies,” rape, incest, and so-called “health” reasons.
Pro-lifers affirm that human life begins at fertilization, that the circumstances of conception do not determine someone’s worth, and that every abortion destroys an innocent human life killed for no justifiable reason. Direct abortion is also never medically necessary, as medical experts have confirmed.
