Will voters see abortion on their ballots? Florida Supreme Court set to hear arguments
MIAMI - Wednesday morning the Florida Supreme Court will have a hearing regarding whether or not voters will see abortion on their ballots this year.
One million-two hundred thousand, that is how many signed a petition in favor of not restricting abortion rights in the state of Florida.
Lauren Brenzel, the campaign director for the political committee Floridians Protecting Freedom, said voters have made their voices heard before the November election.
"We are just looking for the Supreme Court to uphold the will of the voters and the Florida Constitution," she said. "Most Americans are tired of seeing this issue in the legislature. They want to make these private decisions with their doctor."
"If voters approve it in November, it would limit government interference in our abortion decision," said Laura Goodhue, the executive director of Florida Planned Parenthood.
Florida Planned Parenthood says the fight for abortion rights continues.
At this moment the state of Florida has a 15-week ban, meaning a woman cannot receive an abortion after 15 weeks.
Florida Planned Parenthood executive director says that is still not enough time.
"People who have been pregnant know that you don't get that ultrasound or that fetal diagnostic till after 15 weeks. And so we're seeing a lot of really heartbreaking stories of people who are carrying pregnancies that just aren't going to make it to term. And they're having to leave their loved ones their doctors they trust and travel up north to the care they need," said Goodhue.
Another organization that will attend the hearing is Respect Life Ministry, which opposes abortion rights.
Their mission is to help expectant mothers prepare for their babies, but they also have offered post-abortion care to more than 2,400 women in South Florida within the last year.
"We know what happens with abortion. All the consequences of the abortion. And not only physical, but mentally and we have a program that is called Project Rachel. That is post-abortion healing," said Belkys Rodriguez, the assistant director of respect life ministry.
State Attorney General Ashley Moody is expected to ask the state Supreme Court to keep the measure off the ballot, saying it misleads voters and could be used to expand abortion rights in the future.
The proposed constitutional amendment reads:
"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."
Moody has argued that abortion rights proponents and opponents have differing interpretations as to what viability means. Those differences along with the failure to define "health" and "health-care provider," are enough to deceive voters and potentially open a box of legal questions in the future, she previously told the court.
Both sides hope the state's highest court rules in their favor.
"I would say that people do have a choice. But what we're trying to do here is to say the government shouldn't make that choice for you. And that's what we have right now. What we're saying to the courts tomorrow is to let the voters decide," said Goodhue.
"We don't know what will happen. But we believe that the life begins at conception. We don't believe in abortion. It doesn't matter what happens, we don't believe in abortion," said Rodriguez.
The 1.2 million signatures are three hundred thousand more than they needed.
