Key events
Republican governor Ron DeSantis quietly signed off on a six-week abortion ban late last night, after the majority-GOP legislature approved of the bill.
Florida’s ban is not in effect yet, as the state’s original 15-week ban faces a legal challenge in its supreme court, which is mostly conservative.
Up until Thursday, Florida was one of few southern states that had not enacted a near-total abortion ban–serving as a resource for southern people who could not access the procedure in their own state, reported Axios.
Since the overturning of Roe v wade, Florida has seen one of the largest increases in abortion demand. Clinicians provided 7,190 more abortions in the six months following the Dobbs decision, according to data from the Society of family planning.
“In the last six months since Dobbs, the number of out-of-state patients coming to [us] for abortion care has quadrupled,” said Damien Filer, a representative of Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida (PPSEN), to the Guardian in an interview last month.
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and other nearby states have either completely banned or severely restricted the procedure–with many clinics closing completely.
US abortion pill maker calls for supreme court to intervene
US abortion pill manufacturer Danco Laboratories has asked the supreme court to intervene in attempts to restrict the medication, ahead of a possible appeal file from the Department of Justice today, reported Reuters.
The pill maker put out a statement yesterday in response to a federal judge in Texas suspending US approval of mifepristone, one of two medications commonly used in abortion procedures.
“This is a dark day for public health, especially for reproductive rights and the reliance on science and medical expertise to guide decisions about what drugs are safe and effective and should be available to patients,” wrote Abby Long, Danco’s Director of Public Affairs in a statement.
A separate ruling from a Washington judge followed shortly, ordering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to avoid taking any action that could impact the availability of the medication.
The two conflicting rulings have set off a complicated legal battle, which could put the pill’s future availability in jeopardy.
Florida enacts six-week abortion ban
Good morning.
Abortion access in Republican-controlled states are facing additional coordinated attacks, with Florida and Texas serving as major political battlegrounds.
In Florida, Republican governor Ron DeSantis signed a six-week ban on abortion late Thursday after the bill was approved by the GOP-majority legislature.
Florida’s most recent ban will only take effect if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld before its supreme court, which has a conservative majority.
The ban could give DeSantis, who is expected to run for president in 2024, a key victory with Republican primary voters.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice may file an appeal with the supreme court today, attempting to stop the restriction of mifepristone, the at-home abortion bill, in Texas.
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