Today, the Supreme Court of Florida ruled against years of precedent about the nature of privacy in our state constitution and have upheld an out-of-touch law that will ban abortion after 15 weeks for now, but will clear the way for a 6 week ban to become law in 30 days. However, the Court did not block the ballot language that will be before voters in November, giving Floridians the opportunity to enshrine abortion access into our state constitution.
Leader Fentrice Driskell (D- Tampa) issued the following statement:
“Because of extremist politicians, the young women of Florida today have fewer freedoms than their mothers and grandmothers. In 30 days, Florida will ban abortions after six weeks. That’s before many women even know they’re pregnant, and before a lot of tests for fetal health and viability can be done.
Out-of-touch politicians have spoken loud and clear: they think they know better than us, and they should control our personal freedoms. They want to make personal health care decisions for us that they have no business making. They don’t care what we want. They don’t care what our doctors say we need. They don’t care about what’s right for our faith or our families. They don’t care that the majority of Floridians want to secure and protect access to safe, legal abortions.
Floridians want, and deserve, the freedom to be healthy, prosperous, and safe. They deserve the freedom to make their own deeply personal health care decisions without interference from Tallahassee politicians.
This ruling shows how critical it is that Floridians pass Amendment 4 this November, because it will protect abortion access in Florida’s constitution. An overwhelming majority of Floridians already think we should all have the freedom to make our own health care decisions. We must take the power away from out-of-touch extremist politicians and claim our rights ourselves come November.
Extremist politicians and activist judges have been attacking our rights to make our own health care decisions, and that’s why it is so important that we enshrine abortion access as a stand-alone right in our state constitution. We must speak up and draw a bright line under what should be a personal and private decision made without government interference.
We owe this to everyone in Florida’s past, present, and future. Floridians deserve the right and ability to make their own decisions on when, how, and if they have children.
I look forward to Floridians making their voices heard on Election Day. I believe the people will come out in force to say loudly and clearly that this decision must stay between women and their doctors.”
