Thread by @AnnaForFlorida

What does the leaked draft #SCOTUS opinion mean for abortion access in Florida? 🧵

Well first off, Florida has been dramatically regressing when it comes to abortion access. In fact, this year alone the Governor signed HB5 into law, a 15 week abortion which is set to be implemented on July 1st pending a litigation that @ACLUFL has said they will file.

This 15 week ban has NO EXCEPTIONS for rape, incest, or human trafficking. Here's one Republican with her gross AF defense in opposing these exceptions. washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05…

But 24 hour mandatory delay was also implemented this year. This is a 2015 bill signed into law by then Governor now Senator Rick Scott that forces someone seeking to end a pregnancy to meet w/a doctor and then LEAVE & come back at least 24 hours later.wtsp.com/article/news/r….

This was a 7 YEAR COURT BATTLE & last month a judge allowed this law to go into effect.

It has not gotten much media attention & is already impacting how patients access care in FL & how providers are able to deliver that care. We also are a parental consent state now too.

DESPITE ALL OF THIS, and the leaked draft #SCOTUS opinion, abortion is *still* legal in Florida today but folks do need help accessing care.

Check out the link below for a list of FL based abortion funds to support & check out @FLReproFreedom too.
floridareprofreedom.org/abortion-funds/

With all of that said, if this #SCOTUS opinion becomes the final decision, it would be devastating. It would represent the most damaging setback to the rights of women and pregnant people in the history of our country and would absolutely impact us in Florida too.

It would mean that there would be NO federal legal firewall to help stop HB5 or any new abortion bans at a state level. Overturning Roe means 26 states could swiftly move to ban abortion–including 13 states with laws that could immediately go into effect.

Florida is *not* one of those states, but right now Governor DeSantis is being asked by anti-abortion extremists to EXPAND the upcoming Special Legislative Session on Property Insurance to include an abortion ban/trigger law -- and I would not be surprised if he did.

But it's important for folks to remember that Florida has a strong right to privacy in our State Constitution. Check out the language below:

This right to privacy was added by FL voters decades ago, & back in 2012 anti-abortion activists via the legislature tried to persuade voters to water down this right to privacy and they FAILED. This was the 'Vote No on 6' campaign if folks remember ⬇️ rewirenewsgroup.com/article/2012/1…

So that means any fight to protect abortion access in Florida would involve a state court battle, and it also further stresses the point that I've made before: Floridians overwhelmingly agree that abortion should remain legal, and that it's a private decision to be made.

But I'm not going to sugarcoat it: Florida's State Supreme Court has gotten much more conservative over the years thanks to DeSantis appointments, and will get even more conservative.

In fact, Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson announced last Friday he will retire Aug. 31, a move that will allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to continue placing his imprint on the state’s highest court w/yet another appointment.
tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

FL's State Supreme Court has not yet ruled on any abortion cases, so HB5 could be the first one. And though I cannot predict how our State Justices would rule, I would assume they are taking cues from SCOTUS but could not just ignore our State Constitutional right to privacy.

And remember, this doesn't just impact abortion access. We know that any decision on abortion would be a ripple effect to go after LGBTQ+ rights, birth control, even interracial marriage!

https://twitter.com/mjs_DC/status/1521296185977417732?s=20&t=4IMNxnqGZCWsiGhpD59vPw

So what can you do about it right now? Today at 5pm there are rallies being organized across the country and state. Here's a link to many FL based events. weareplannedparenthood.org/a/florida-even…

But as someone who has hosted multiple events, including a 1,000+ person Rally in Orlando to protect abortion access just seven months ago, I ask that if you are able, take your advocacy to the next level and come help us register voters in FL and/or knock on doors.

This is a virtual #VoterReg training we are hosting on May 18th via an organization that I launched called @PeoplePowerFLA and will teach you everything you need to know about how to register people in your community to vote! mobilize.us/peoplepowerfor…

And if you're in Central FL & want to help win our re-election and help get folks to vote for pro-reproductive health candidates up & down their ballots, then come knock on doors with us! We have three more canvasses in May, and more to come in the summer! mobilize.us/annaforflorida…

If you don't live in Central FL but want to support local State House Reps or Senators who are fighting for your rights along w/issues like affordable housing just let me know and I'll find them for you! We have folks running across the state who need your support.

Also @RuthsListFL is helping to recruit and train candidates who care about protecting abortion access to run for office! Check them out.

If you can't volunteer outdoors for w/e reason don't worry, we have plenty of ways folks can help from home including phone banking and even postcard writing.

Join our #TeamAnna volunteer network here: annaforflorida.com/volunteer/

My point is we can't protect abortion access or our collective rights with a burst of enthusiasm or energy. And Congress is not gonna codify the protections granted to us by Roe v. Wade unless we organize this election cycle and allow our votes to be a referendum against this BS.

Generations before us have fought tirelessly to gain and protect the rights we have today. And we can't stop fighting now.

PS, here's an even faster way to donate to multiple FL based abortion funds all at once including @FLAccessNetwork, @ARC_Southeast, @EMAwpb and @tbafund!

Please follow them online too!

secure.actblue.com/donate/fundabo…