Florida Supreme Court Maintains 6-Week Abortion Restriction but Allows November Ballot Referendum on Abortion
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Supreme Court of Florida upheld the state’s 15-week abortion ban on Monday; however, it also allowed a pro-abortion rights ballot measure to proceed to a vote in November.
In a 6-1 ruling, the Supreme Court of Florida dismissed a lawsuit against the 15-week abortion restriction, which was argued based on the privacy clauses of the Florida Constitution. According to the Miami Herald, “[u]pholding the current law triggers a six-week abortion ban that legislators passed last year to become operative.” The law in Florida, which includes narrow exceptions for cases of rape and incest, will be enforced 30 days following the court’s ruling on Monday.
Katie Daniel, State Policy Director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, lauded the decision as “the victory for unborn children who have a heartbeat and can feel pain,” declaring that the ruling aligns with “the views of the majority of Floridians who want to protect babies and serve mothers and families.”
However, in a separate decision, the Florida Supreme Court, in a 4-3 ruling, endorsed a November ballot initiative spearheaded by Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF), a coalition of left-wing and pro-abortion groups.
Their 2024 ballot initiative to voters aims to ensure “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider,” with an exception for the Florida Constitution’s clause on parental notification for minors’ abortions.
Florida’s Republican Attorney General, Ashley Moody, appealed to the Florida Supreme Court to dismiss the voter initiative, arguing that its ambiguous wording failed to meet the legal criteria for inclusion on the ballot.
Florida Governor DeSantis released a statement expressing his dissent with the court’s second ruling, maintaining his stance that the amendment’s wording is deceptive.
Nonetheless, during the oral arguments, Florida Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz remarked, “The people of Florida aren’t stupid. They can figure it out.”
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