Florida News Straight From the Source
The Florida House Health Quality Subcommittee today voted 10-4 for House Bill 1335 requiring minors to obtain parental consent prior to receiving an abortion. [Read more…] about House committee votes to endanger at risk young people
Youth advocates for access to abortion without political interference spoke out against bills filed to ban abortion in Florida as early as six weeks as well as the potential for even more restrictions including additional parental involvement in young people’s access to abortion. [Read more…] about Youth advocates for safe and legal abortion speak out against new wave of restrictions
On February 20, youth advocates for access to abortion without political interference will speak out against bills filed to ban abortion in Florida as early as six weeks as well as the potential for even more restrictions including additional parental involvement in young people’s access to abortion. [Read more…] about Youth advocates for safe and legal abortion to speak out against new wave of restrictions
Advocates gathered Thursday in front of the Florida Supreme Court to urge Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio to protect Floridians’ reproductive rights and access to health care by rejecting President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. [Read more…] about Reproductive rights advocates urge Sens. Nelson, Rubio to reject nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to Supreme Court
Statement from Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates Executive Director, Laura Goodhue on Florida Constitution Revision Commission’s rejection of Proposal 22:
“Today we owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of Floridians who raised their voices and became a critical part of our government of, by and for the people. They sent the message loud and clear that we won’t have privacy protections that guarantee our right to have an abortion taken away in the service of a fringe political agenda.
“In 2012, voters soundly defeated a similar attempt to weaken the privacy clause when they voted down Amendment 6. A recent poll showed that a whopping 74 percent of Floridians would not support stripping away their current privacy protections. And this latest attempt to take away our privacy rights was soundly defeated in the CRC’s Judicial Committee and, as of today, we know it won’t be revived.
“For that, I say thank you to every Floridian who spoke up to protect our privacy rights and the right to have an abortion.”
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.
Please visit www.fappa.org for more information.
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?
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.
Statement on the House Civil Justice Subcommittee’s Vote on HB 19 from Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates Executive Director, Laura Goodhue:
“This bill is yet another attack on access to safe, legal abortion care. This dangerous bill is a blatant attempt to intimidate and shutter safe and law-abiding abortion providers.
“House Bill 19 attempts to intimidate physicians who perform legal abortions, a procedure with an incredibly high safety record, by increasing their exposure to frivolous lawsuits. It would significantly increase the risk physicians face in providing safe and legal abortion care.
“The real motivation behind this flawed bill is political, not because it is what’s best for women. The fact is, this bill would give extremist organizations — whose sole mission is to stop abortion providers — one more vehicle to go after doctors and tie up the court system, without the constraints of the established medical malpractice legal system in Florida.
