Reproductive Rights News Roundup – July 14th 2023

Florida

On the abortion front, Florida faces a clash between potential ballot proposals in 2024
By Mitch Perry
Florida Phoenix
Last weekend in Miami Beach, organizers behind a constitutional amendment protecting abortion access on next year’s ballot say they’ve gathered more than 420,000 petitions and raised more than $4.7 million in just two months — but opponents are trying to slow their momentum.

After the repeal of Roe, women are fighting to change Florida’s constitution to protect abortion
By Regan McCarthy
WFSU Tallahassee
It’s been a little longer than a year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade—turning decisions about abortion access over to individual states.

Activists trying to get abortion on Florida’s 2024 ballot have raised nearly $5 million
Staff Report
News Service of Florida
Trying to quickly gather enough petition signatures to get on the 2024 ballot, a political committee leading efforts to pass a constitutional amendment aimed at ensuring abortion rights collected nearly $1.942 million in June, according to a newly filed finance report.

Florida group aiming to put abortion on 2024 ballot raises $1.9M in June
By Rachel Tucker
WFLA Tampa Bay
A Florida political action committee backing the petition to put abortion on the 2024 ballot raised nearly $2 million in June, according to a recent campaign finance report.

Florida Supreme Court will hear abortion arguments in September
By Michael Moline
Florida Phoenix
The Florida Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Sept. 8 in a test of whether the justices will respect their 1989 ruling finding protection for abortion access in the Florida Constitution’s Privacy Clause.

Florida’s privacy clause at the heart of 15-week abortion case set for September hearing
By Jake Stofan
Action News Jax
In roughly two months the Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments for and against the state’s 15-week abortion ban.

Poll shows Florida women less than enthusiastic about Gov. DeSantis
By Michael Moline
Florida Phoenix
Florida women don’t find Gov. Ron DeSantis all that appealing, according to a public opinion poll suggesting that only 34% of them strongly approve of his performance in office.

Five Questions with Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo
Staff Report
City & State
Excerpt: Question: I’m wondering … if you’re happy with the product that Florida now has, knowing what, as a woman, as a mother, a six week (abortion) ban functionally means. Many women will not realize they are pregnant until after that time has already elapsed.

“Don’t Say Period”: law restricting K-12 reproductive and sexual health instruction takes effect
By Amanda Friedman
Independent Florida Alligator
Roughly a month before schools go back in session, a new law restricting K-12 sexual and health education looms over the heads of school staff, students and parents.

South Florida abortion clinic reaches settlement with state
By Kathy Laskowski
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A Miami abortion clinic will pay $20,000 as part of a settlement with the state in a case alleging the clinic did not properly comply with a law that requires providing information to women at least 24 hours before abortions.

The Push to Put Abortion on Florida’s 2024 Ballots (audio story)
The Brian Mudd Show
WJNO West Palm Beach
Bottom Line: The Heartbeat Protection Act, limiting abortions to six weeks with exceptions, was signed into law by Governor DeSantis in April.

National

Few US adults support full abortion bans, even in states that have them, an AP-NORC poll finds
By Geoff Mulvihill and Linley Sanders
Associated Press
The majority of U.S. adults, including those living in states with the strictest limits on abortion, want it to be legal at least through the initial stages of pregnancy, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds.

Exclusive: National Abortion Federation’s New CEO Hopes to Be a ‘Stabilizing Force’
By Garnet Henderson
Rewire News Group
After a nearly two-year search, the National Abortion Federation has found a new leader. The organization announced today that Brittany Fonteno will become its president and CEO as of September 1.

Pence would ban abortions when pregnancies aren’t viable. His GOP rivals won’t say if they agree
By Jill Colvin
Associated Press
In a Republican presidential field full of candidates opposed to abortion rights, Mike Pence stands out in his embrace of the cause.

House GOP Cripples Bipartisan Defense Policy Bill With Abortion Vote
By Jonathan Nicholson
HuffPost
House Republicans added restrictions to a defense bill Thursday to cut funding for abortion- and gender transition-related services, endangering the bill’s usually bipartisan nature and complicating its path to passage.