The Quickie: Florida Supreme Court Approves Abortion Balle Measure — While Also Paving the Way for Six-Week Ban

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: Florida’s Supreme Court approves abortion ballot measure alongside a 6-week ban and PPAF Prez reflects on the court decisions. 

FLORIDA SUPREME COURT APPROVES ABORTION BALLOT MEASURE — WHILE ALSO PAVING WAY FOR SIX-WEEK BAN: Yesterday, the Florida Supreme Court issued long-awaited decisions on both the ballot initiative to limit government interference and a challenge to the state’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. By upholding the 15-week abortion ban, the court paved the way for a six-week ban to take effect in May — devastating access for the entire region. 

As The 19th reports, a six-week ban could make it impossible for some people to get care in Florida, especially because of the state’s mandated two-visit requirement. “This puts more pressure on patients that are underinsured, patients that are uninsured. It’s going to be very detrimental. it’s a very big deal for the women of Florida, a six-week ban,” Dr. Cecilia Grande, an OB-GYN in south Miami, said on a call hosted by Floridians Protecting Freedom on Monday in response to the ruling. Yes on 4 campaign director Lauren Brenzel added, “There is nowhere in the Southeast that can absorb Florida’s patient base. It’s simply not possible.

With Floridians already feeling the impact of abortion bans, reproductive freedom is on the line. Floridians Protecting Freedom, the coalition running the Yes on 4 campaign, is turning their attention to educating and persuading 60% of voters to support the ballot initiative. "This is our chance to engage in direct democracy to stop these unpopular and harmful policies," said Brenzel in a campaign press statement.

Read more from Floridians Protecting Freedom and The 19th. 

ACTION FUND PREZ ON FLORIDA’S SUPREME COURT DECISIONS: Last night, Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood Action Fund president and CEO joined The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer to discuss Florida's Supreme Court decisions, allowing for a 6-week abortion ban to take effect in the next 30 days and approving a ballot initiative to protect abortion rights in the November election. Alexis described her concerns on the abortion ban saying, “We should not be living in a world where in an entire region of the country, we are no longer free and able to take care and make decisions about our own health care, where we actually have to travel out of state in order to get the care that we need.”

She outlined the path forward for protecting abortion access, “The best option right now is to focus on the Florida amendment…we know that 81% of Americans do not want their reproductive health care to be regulated by the government. And we know that is true as well in Florida.

Watch the interview here.