‘DEVASTATING’

Health Care Providers Sue Over Florida’s 15-Week Abortion Ban

The lawsuit claims that the ban violates rights guaranteed by the Florida Constitution.

Several Florida health providers filed a lawsuit on Wednesday challenging the state’s 15-week abortion ban. The providers are seeking an injunction that will prevent the law, which bans abortions after 15 weeks and has no exceptions for rape or incest, from taking effect on July 1. Though the law does have exceptions for fatal fetal abnormalities and life-threatening pregnancies, the lawsuit claims that it nonetheless “radically curtails” Floridians’ abortion rights. As of now, Florida allows the procedure until around 24 weeks. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates rights guaranteed by the Florida Constitution, whose privacy laws have long been interpreted as protecting abortion. In a press release, the Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit on behalf of health care providers, said the ban would have “devastating” consequences not only for Floridians, but also for those who travel to the state for abortions.