The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe V. Wade. The decision removes the federal right to abortion care and hands decisions about abortion access to individual states.
In Florida, a law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy is set to go into effect July 1. The American Civil Liberties Union and other reproductive rights groups have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block it. A hearing in that case is set for Monday.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe V. Wade removes a federal hurdle that Florida's 15-week abortion ban measure could have faced. But a state hurdle remains in place. The state constitution has privacy protections that are broader and stronger than in the U.S. Constitution.
“It’s very clear under binding precedent that the right to decide to terminate a pregnancy is a central right to Florida’s privacy clause and that’s what we’re relying on in this case," said ACLU lawyer Whitney White.
White is a staff attorney with the Reproductive Freedom Project at the ACLU. She's involved in the hearing Monday to request an injunction against Florida's new law.
A ruling in that case is expected before the law is set to go into effect July 1.
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