Florida Seal
The Republican backed bill known as HB5 prohibits abortions after 15 weeks with no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking.
Today, a judge temporarily blocked the 15 week ban prompting the State Attorney General to file an appeal... quickly re-instating the ban.
The back and forth started last week Thursday, when a judge said he planned to rule in favor of blocking the ban.
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On Friday, the law went into effect. This morning, a judge signed the temporary block and just a few hours later, it was appealed by the state.
"We're going to see a lot of the same things going on where these laws go up to the State Supreme Court and they're going to have to rule on the rule on the constitutionality of them," Mark Harrington said.
He is the founder of an anti- abortion advocacy group called Created Equal.
He says that this decision needs to be up to Floridians.
"The people can amend the constitution and that's part of their right to do so, so it may end up in the hands of the people," Harrington said.
"I have many issues with states rights," local women's rights activist Chanae Jackson said.
She says that state's rights stem from the civil war.
"Because we are not willing to actually address our history and understand the origin or the states rights," Jackson said.
She says that the government should not be able to determine what any person can do with their body.
"You don't have to take a position on whether you support abortion or whether you oppose abortion. The issue is because it's a private matter," She said.
Jackson stresses that it's not just an abortion issue... but it’s a health issue.
Ultrasound of baby
“This is a reproductive rights issue, it's the same thing because cancer is apart of reproductive rights, telling someone that they can't get an appropriate cancer treatment or even just a persons right to privacy. I find it very interesting, the same people that states that we shouldn't have to wear masks are the exact same people that are trying to tell women what they should do with their bodies," Jackson said. "The fact that people are not understanding that we have issues when it related to inner uterine bleeding and fibroids, because we're not looking at a reproductive health issue."
As for Mark he says hopes to preserve the right to life.
"We're a compassionate country and we figure out a way to take care of women who are in crisis pregnancies and provide the resources for them," Harrington said.
According to CDC data from 2019 — only 2% of abortions in the state were preformed after 15 weeks. The American Civil Liberties Union and abortion providers say they plan to continue to fight the new law.