It has been a year and a half since Roe v. Wade, a landmark Supreme Court decision that protected women’s rights to abortion and reproductive health, was overturned. In the following months, these rights have come under attack in nearly every state in the U.S., including Florida.
Roe v. Wade, the foundational Supreme Court decision for the right to abortion and reproductive health, was originally a lawsuit filed by Jane Roe in the District Court for the Northern District of Texas. At the time, the Texas law outlawed abortions unless necessary to save the life of the mother. The case climbed the U.S. court circuit before being heard at the Supreme Court. In January 1973, the Supreme Court ruled abortion as constitutional under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Anti-abortion activists have decried the decision since the Supreme Court issued it, and have repeatedly tried to strike it down for decades, through lobbying and nominating both U.S. District Court and Supreme Court justices. One of the most notable examples of the decision being tested was Casey v. Planned Parenthood, which challenged the trimester framework that was established under Roe in favor of ruling on infant viability. This decision stood until June 24, 2022 when Justice Samuel Alito along with 5 other justices ruled to overturn decisions from both cases. Ultimately, dismantling a nearly 50-year precedent and stripping the right to seek a safe, legal abortion.
Roe v. Wade protected women’s rights to choose how to treat their bodies and allowed them to seek safe, legal procedures that significantly raised the survival rate of pregnant women. In addition, women who are unable to take care of their children, especially those born with health issues, were able to make informed decisions about their families and lives.
Governor DeSantis signed into law a 15-week abortion ban two months before the Supreme Court’s decision was leaked, one of the most restrictive bans passed before the decision was overturned. This decision has caused incomparable damage to women across the state, with many leaving the state to seek the life-saving procedure elsewhere. Just over a year later, this ban was amended to reduce the time to 6-weeks after conception, although it was blocked by a judge’s injunction. We are still waiting on the Supreme Court decision on whether the ban is constitutional or not in the State of Florida, which if approved then the six week ban will be enforced 30 days after.
Although the climate of our state is dark, groups like Planned Parenthood of Central and Southwest Florida, ACLU Florida, and many more have come together to change how we decided on abortion. Floridians Protecting Freedom, a movement that would enshrine this right of seeking an abortion in Florida’s constitution once voted on in November’s General Election.
Just three days later after FPF reached the amount of signatures needed, State Rep. Borrero (R-105) introduced into the current 2024 legislative session, HB1519, which enacts a total ban on abortion in the state and increases penalties for doctors who perform one.
It is up to us to fight back against restrictive abortion bans and reproductive healthcare being on the line. The next step to protecting women’s reproductive rights in Florida lies at the Florida Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on the amendment’s viability on February 7th. Floridians Protecting Freedom is hosting a watch party of the arguments here, so please do show up, stand up, and fight back.
More ways to get involved and support your local abortion providers include:
- Floridians Protecting Freedom – Campaigning and advocating for abortion access in Florida, fighting to get an amendment to protect access in Florida.
- Florida Access Network – Provides abortion funding, community support, and contraception.
- Florida Planned Parenthood Action Fund – Legal advocacy and support for abortion access, transgender healthcare, and contraceptive rights.
- Florida for Reproductive Freedom – Advocacy against anti-abortion centers and legislation restriction reproductive freedoms.
- Planned Parenthood SWCF and South, East, North Florida – Operates telehealth and in-person reproductive, STI, and transgender care across Florida
- SWAN of Central Florida – Escorts patients to abortion clinics and family planning services for safety.
- Tampa Bay Abortion Fund – Provides access to abortions for low-income individuals or folks in need of reproductive healthcare.
- Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida – A queer advocacy group that advocates for the abortion ballot initiative.