Statement from Senator Lauren Book, re: Court Ruling Against Pregnant Teen in Test of Florida Parental Consent Law:
“The State of Florida is now in the business of forcing children to have children. Yesterday, a vulnerable young girl whose parents are absent from her life was denied access to a safe and legal abortion because a judge decided she was too ‘young’ and ‘immature’ to make this choice for herself – though somehow not too young to responsibly navigate the labyrinthian court system. A judge should not be able to unilaterally gate-keep a young woman’s constitutionally protected right to choose. I fought against mandating parental consent for abortion care because of cases such as this, when parents are absent, abusive, or anti-choice. Mandatory parental-consent laws do not solve the problem of inadequate family communication; they only exacerbate potentially dangerous situations.”
