Reproductive Rights News Roundup – January 26th 2024

Florida

On anniversary of Roe, FL Dems say abortion rights are at stake now and in November
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
Florida Democrats expressed optimism about a potential upcoming ballot initiative on abortion rights, as women convened Monday for the  51st anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in the U.S. At the same time, they expressed concerns about current legislation in Florida that they say could penalize doctors for performing abortions.

On Roe’s 51st anniversary, abortion amendment is pending Florida Supreme Court review
By Stephany Matat, Palm Beach Post
Abortion-rights advocates marked the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision Monday hoping Florida voters will get a chance to restore unfettered reproductive rights this year.

More than 7,100 women traveled to Florida for abortions in 2023. Key court rulings could soon end those journeys.
By Caroline Catherman
Orlando Sentinel
In 2023, more than 7,100 women traveled to Florida from another state or country to end their pregnancies.

We’re still waiting for FL Supreme Court to decide about abortion rights
By Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix
Amid the weekend’s commemorations of Roe v. Wade and lamentations over Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, some observers acknowledged the elephant in the room: two pending Florida Supreme Court rulings governing abortion rights.

More than 200 Republicans have donated to get abortion on Florida ballots
By Ivy Nyayieka, Tampa Bay Times
A campaign to let Floridians vote on abortion rights protections raised more than $17 million in 2023, largely funded by women, a Times analysis of new data shows.

Florida abortion rights supporters fear new proposal would target doctors
By Arek Sarkissian, Politico
Florida abortion rights supporters are worried a new proposal that would allow parents to file wrongful death lawsuits in cases involving unborn children is an attempt to target doctors who perform the procedure.

Why a bill about wrongful death lawsuits has abortion advocates concerned
By Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald
Florida lawmakers want parents to be able to receive civil damages for the wrongful death of an unborn child — legislation that has abortion advocates fearful it could punish doctors who perform the already limited procedure.

Of Course Florida Republicans Want to Make It Easier to Sue Doctors Who Perform Abortions
By Bess Levin, Vanity Fair
Florida Republicans made their feelings about reproductive freedom pretty obvious last April when they passed a bill banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

After Roe decision, Floridians are ready to reject GOP abortion bans
By Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Miami Herald
Over half a century ago, in the face of attacks from Republican politicians and special interest groups, women in Florida and all across the country stood shoulder to shoulder and fought for their right to access reproductive care.

Floridians deserve to have their voices heard on abortion
By Barbara A. Zdravecky, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
‘No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.’

With abortion access on the line, voting matters now more than ever
By Melba Pearson, Esq., Miami Times
During the run-up to the presidential election in 2016, I was having dinner in Washington, D.C., with friends who are moderate Republicans.

Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell takes on Scott’s abortion record; he isn’t responding.
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
A central tenet in Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s Senate campaign to unseat incumbent GOP U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is to attack his record on abortion rights.

Pro-life and pro-choice groups rally in downtown St. Petersburg as anniversary of Roe v. Wade nears
By Dre Bradley, WFTS Tampa Bay
The 4th annual Tampa Bay March of Life held in St. Petersburg on Saturday was one of just a few rallies scheduled for this weekend as the anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches.

What we saw and heard at the St. Petersburg rally to commemorate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade
By Sean Kinane, WMNF Tampa Bay
Women’s rights groups gathered Monday in downtown St. Petersburg to mark the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.

Abortion rates are down in Florida, but not for out-of-state residents
By Stephanie Colombini, WUSF Tampa
Fewer Floridians had abortions in 2023 than in the previous two years, but the number of out-of-state patients coming for the procedure continues to grow.

Protesters ask Florida lawmaker to withdraw his bill banning nearly all abortions
By Verónica Zaragovia , Health News Florida
A group of abortion-rights supporters gathered Monday outside the Doral office of Republican state Rep. David Borrero, of Sweetwater.

National

Biden, Harris vow to restore protections for abortion rights as 2024 campaign launches
By Jennifer Shutt, Florida Phoenix
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris moved abortion access to the forefront of their reelection bid Tuesday by making it the centerpiece of their first joint campaign rally of the 2024 election cycle.

On Roe anniversary, abortion opponents look to White House to fast-track national ban
By Sofia Resnick, Florida Phoenix
Falling snow and flight delays thinned this year’s anti-abortion March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, but did not deter the most impatient activists in the movement, those unsatisfied until the entire U.S. map is red with abortion bans.

New Biden ad blames Trump for overturning Roe
By Kelly Garrity, Politico
President Joe Biden’s campaign is out with a new ad today featuring emotional testimony from a Texas woman who says she was forced to travel out state to get an abortion.

Nearly 65,000 US rape victims could not get an abortion in their state, analysis shows
By Jessica Glenza, The Guardian
Nearly 65,000 rape-related pregnancies likely occurred in the 14 US states with near-total abortion bans following the US supreme court’s 2022 Dobbs decision – yet just 10 legal abortions are performed monthly on average in these states, researchers found in a new analysis.

An abortion ban turned a grieving Allie Phillips into a candidate
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post
Framed ultrasounds hang next to Allie Philips’s mantle, a shrine to the child she never had: delicate silver necklaces and receiving blankets embroidered with the name Miley Rose, beside a tiny pink urn containing fetal ashes.