Florida
Lawmakers vote to spend $466,200 on pregnancy and parenting resources website; Dems ask why
By Jackie Llanos, Florida Phoenix
The Florida Department of Health would receive $466,200 for the development of a website to share public and private resources for pregnant people and parents.
How states giving rights to fetuses could set up a national case on abortion
By Regan McCarthy, WFSU Tallahassee
Last month, when the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments for a proposed state constitutional amendment that would explicitly protect access to abortion, the discussion took a surprising turn for attendees like state House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell.
IVF fight comes to Florida
By Kimberly Lenoard, Politico
A pause on in vitro fertilization in Alabama is reverberating in Florida and could reshape the political landscape.
After ‘misguided’ Alabama ruling, Florida lawmaker pushes for federal protection for IVF
By Gerard Albert, WLRN Miami
Federal legislation is needed to protect other states from the “legal chaos and uncertainty” brought by an Alabama Supreme Court ruling on in-vitro fertilization, Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Monday.
Stalled Florida bill about ‘unborn children’ raises concerns about impact on IVF and abortion
By Hannah Dineen, WTSP Tampa Bay
The future of IVF in Florida remains in limbo after two closely watched decisions across the country.
What is IVF treatment? Does the Alabama personhood decision affect Florida couples who want kids?
By C. A. Bridges, USA Today Network-Florida
A Florida bill that would have allowed civil lawsuits for the wrongful death of a fetus, which it defined as an “unborn child” in a move that brought criticism from abortion rights advocates, is on hold for now.
Abortion access in Florida – potential implications of House Bill 1519 and pending court decisions
By Matt Lammens, Florida State University Political Review
On January 8, 2024, Republican House Reps. David Borrero of District 111 (part of Miami-Dade County) and Mike Beltran of District 70 (containing parts of Hillsborough and Manatee counties) filed House Bill 1519 (HB 1519), which aims at prohibiting “a person or entity from purposely performing or attempting to perform abortion” with the only exception being medical emergencies.
Students react to uncertain future of abortion access in Florida
By Samson McCarthy, FSU News
Debate among students regarding the legality of abortion has been under the spotlight as controversial bills working through Florida’s legislature face an uncertain future.
Two of Polk’s US reps sign court brief seeking reversals of abortion medication guidelines
Staff Report, Lakeland Ledger
Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, have signed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting limits on use of the medication abortion pill mifepristone.
Whitney Fox calls for federal protections for IVF, while blasting Anna Paulina Luna for ‘cowardice’
By Janelle Irwin Taylor, Florida Politics
Congressional candidate Whitney Fox is calling on Congress to pass legislation protecting access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) after Senate Republicans this week blocked legislation that would have protected access.
National
How Biden’s SOTU guest upended the abortion debate
By Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly, Politico
President Joe Biden wants abortion rights to be a centerpiece of his rematch with Donald Trump this fall. Biden’s State of the Union speech on Thursday could reveal how he hopes to frame the debate.
Alluding to Trump, Biden calls out Republicans ‘bragging’ about abortion bans
By Sarah McCammon, NPR
In a likely preview of Democratic messaging in the presidential election, President Biden made abortion rights a major focus of his State of the Union address.
More Black women say abortion is their top issue in the 2024 election, a survey finds
By Amanda Seitz, Associated Press
More than a quarter of female Black voters describe abortion as their top issue in this year’s presidential election, a poll out Thursday from health policy research firm KFF reveals.
Alabama Legislature gives final approval to in vitro fertilization bill
By Alander Rocha, States Newsroom
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday night signed a bill aimed at restarting in vitro fertilization (IVF) services in the state, minutes after the Alabama Legislature gave final approval to the legislation.
Women, your privacy rights are ephemeral when fetal personhood becomes law
By Caroline Light and Marya T. Mtshali, Tampa Bay Times
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos have the same legal rights as already born children sent fertility care clinics closing while Republicans tied themselves into rhetorical knots to avoid alienating a powerful portion of their base: people who depend on IVF to have children.
France becomes the only country to explicitly guarantee abortion as a constitutional right
By Barbara Surk and Nicolas Garriga, Associated Press
French lawmakers on Monday overwhelmingly approved a bill to enshrine abortion rights in France’s constitution, making it the only country to explicitly guarantee a woman’s right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy