Abortion rights are no longer protected in Florida.
The Florida Supreme Court, one of the most conservative in the country, issued a decision today upholding the state’s 15-week abortion ban and paving the way for a six-week ban to take affect.
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, many Southern states tightened their abortion laws, but Florida remained somewhat open, and many women from nearby states traveled there for their procedures. Now, however, the state is joining its Republican allies in cracking down on women’s reproductive rights.
The abortion ban that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law last year will now take effect in 30 days, and will prohibit women from getting an abortion after more than six weeks of pregnancy—before most women even know they’re pregnant. The ban grants exceptions in case of rape, incest, and if the life of the mother is in danger due to pregnancy complications.
The law will be a devastating step in the wrong direction amid the rise in anti-abortion laws, pushed by the right wing, in the U.S.
This news comes nearly two years into a major lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and other abortion providers against the state of Florida. The suit asks for Florida’s 15-week abortion ban to be thrown out, claiming it violates the state’s constitution.
In a separate move, also today, the Florida Supreme Court decided to allow a ballot initiative that would detail the state of abortion rights in the state’s Constitution. This means Florida voters will be able to weigh in on the future of abortion access via their ballots this November, and either support women’s rights, or not.
Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper's Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets.
