Florida court OKs abortion ban, referendum to reverse it

This decision "will all but eliminate abortion access in the South"

(Image credit: Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)

published 2 April 2024

What happened

The conservative Florida Supreme Court ruled 6-1 Monday that contrary to decades of rulings, the Florida Constitution's right to privacy does not prohibit limits on abortion. The ruling allows a six-week abortion ban, passed last year, to take effect May 1. The court simultaneously ruled 4-3 that a ballot measure prohibiting restrictions on abortion until about 24 weeks can go before voters in November.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.