Florida may have an abortion referendum in November, and it is one of 13 states considering ballot measures related to abortion this year. The state’s abortion law is likely to change this year, one way or another. Last April, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law banning abortion after six weeks, but it is tied up in the courts. A successful referendum in Florida would have a greater impact on abortion access. Currently, the procedure is legal in the state up to 15 weeks of pregnancy—the most liberal regime in the Deep South. Florida has become a destination for women living in more restrictive nearby states and is now third in the country for number of abortions, according to the Society of Family Planning, a non-profit group.
National attention is likely to turn to those in Arizona and Nevada, where Democrats hope the initiatives will bolster turnout in the swing states. Inside the court, judges were debating whether to allow Florida voters to decide a ballot question in November that would codify a right to abortion in the state constitution. Campaigners collected more than a million signatures to qualify the initiative, but it remains uncertain whether voters will be permitted to have a say.
If the proposed ballot initiative were to pass, it would establish a state right to abortion until viability—generally around 23 weeks—and after that time if the life and health of the mother were at stake.
2024-02-08 09:40:12
Original from www.economist.com
