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Sen. Jeff Clemens and Rep. Lori Berman file bill to strike unconstitutional language from HB 1411

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Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) and Rep. Lori Berman (D-Lantana) have filed Senate Bill 1114 and House Bill 6025, striking unconstitutional language from House Bill 1411 (HB 1411), the omnibus anti-reproductive health care bill passed during the 2016 session. Last June, Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida and Planned Parenthood of Southwest Central Florida successfully challenged three parts of HB 1411.
“Thank goodness we have a court system that acts as a check on the Legislature,” Sen. Clemens said. “It’s unfortunate that the majority in the Legislature continues to pass unconstitutional bills.”
“I am proud to file a bill to repeal the language in HB 1411 that the Federal District Court has deemed unconstitutional,” said Rep. Berman. “It is deeply disturbing that we use valuable legislative time in such a counterproductive manner and that we as taxpayers end up footing the cost for defending these ill-conceived ideological bills.”
During the 2016 legislative session, when this bill passed, it was never heard by the Judiciary Committees in either chamber. When concerns about the constitutionally of the legislation were raised, they were dismissed by supporters of the bill. In August 2016, a Federal District Court permanently blocked the Florida law from being enacted.
“This bill would repeal unconstitutional language that attempted to defund family planning providers who provide safe and legal abortion care from offering preventive care such as birth control, cancer screenings, STI tests, and other essential health care services,” said Barbara Zdravecky, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. “It would also repeal unconstitutional language jeopardizing the privacy of women who have an abortion by requiring that at least 50 percent of those patient records be reviewed by state officials, a mandate not required in any other medical procedure.”
Defunding an essential community provider and mandating onerous inspection requirements does nothing to improve the health and safety of care. This unconstitutional law is a part of a nationwide trend to target abortion providers and restrict access to reproductive health care services. Since 2011, 334 abortion restrictions have been enacted across the county.
“This legislation continues to highlight the constant attacks targeting abortion providers and the legislature’s disregard of protecting a patient’s constitutional rights,” added Lillian Tamayo, CEO of Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida.
Just last week the Florida Supreme Court blocked a Florida law that would have required women to wait 24 hours before having an abortion. This is yet another example of the courts reminding lawmakers they don’t have the right to block access to safe and legal abortion. This ruling is a major victory but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears in the halls of the Capitol, as legislators continue to file bills this year that continue to attack access to abortion.

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FAPPA statement on today’s 24 hour mandatory delay ruling

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Statement on today’s 24 hour mandatory delay ruling from Laura Goodhue, Executive Dirctor, Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates:
“Today’s ruling is yet another example of the courts telling politicians that they cannot pass laws that block access to safe and legal abortion. Every woman should be able to make her own decisions about her reproductive health care.
“The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates has always opposed this medically unnecessary law which creates a burden on women who have already made their decision. We believe laws should not be introduced with the intention of shaming, coercing or judging a woman but rather based on best health care policies and medical standards.”
“A woman’s ability to access abortion must be a right not just in theory, but in reality. Florida legislators should quit playing politics with abortion and focus on improving women’s access to health care, including reproductive health care.”
What’s wrong with a 24-hour reflection period?

  • Mandatory delay laws unnecessarily postpone access to abortion even when a woman has already received state-mandated counseling and made a deliberate and fully informed decision.
  • State laws that require mandatory delays before a woman can get an abortion do not offer any health benefits. They result in increased expenses, travel difficulties, and medical risks.
  • Mandatory delay requirements are especially burdensome to rural women and those living in poverty that may not be able to take extra days off from work, travel long distances, or find appropriate child care while they are away from home.
  • Implicit in this legislation is the unfounded assumption that women who decide to have an abortion don’t carefully consider their decision. The reasons women decide to have an abortion are complicated.
  • This legislation does nothing to decrease the number of unintended pregnancies or reduce the need for abortion. In fact, the challenges women may face in scheduling travel, childcare, and work arrangements to get doctors’ appointments 24 hours apart means the procedure could be forced later into the pregnancy, posing an unnecessary risk to women’s health.

Anti-abortion lawmakers have already filed three bills ahead of the 2017 Florida Legislative Session, including a ban on abortion after 20 weeks and a bill that opens up doctors performing abortions to frivolous lawsuits. They’ve even introduced a bill that requires the state of Florida to promote anti-abortion propaganda.
Nationwide, state lawmakers have passed more than 316 restrictions on abortion since 2011. A PerryUndem poll commissioned by Vox found that the majority of Americans oppose restrictions meant to shutter health centers or make it more difficult for women to access abortion, and that 70 percent of Americans don’t want to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates is the state public policy office representing Florida’s Planned Parenthood affiliates. The Alliance works to advance public policy in areas of reproductive health care, family planning and medically-accurate sex education in order to make comprehensive reproductive health care available to all.

Women’s March on Tallahassee coincides with national effort

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Other marches take place across Florida and U.S.

While the Women’s March on Washington was happening Saturday, Floridians joined the Women’s March on Tallahassee. The grassroots effort culminated in a rally with speakers including civic leaders, women’s advocates and others at the FAMU recreation center.
“These marches in Tallahassee, in Washington and around our state and nation are sending a bold message to the new administration and Congress in Washington, to Florida Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature, and to the world – that women’s rights are human rights,” said Lillian Tamayo, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida.
The Women’s March on Tallahassee was a show of solidarity with women and families across the state for the protection of women’s rights, health and safety. The event was inclusive with all genders, races, ages, religions and sexual orientations invited to participate.
“We envision a future where each of us will be treated with dignity, respect and compassion,” said Tamayo. “In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us means defending all of us.”
“The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us, including immigrants, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, LGBT Americans, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, and survivors of sexual assault,” said Barbara Zdravecky, President and CEO for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. “We will not tolerate hatred, racism and sexism and we will fight for respect, dignity and justice for all,” she added.
In addition to the March on Tallahassee, Floridians gathered in solidarity for sister marches in Key West, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Naples, West Palm Beach and Miami.

Please visit www.fappa.org for more information.