The Status of Abortion Access in Florida After the Recent Ballot Initiative

After the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, and for many years before, Florida served as an abortion access point for many people in the South. But with changing judicial interpretation of “privacy” in the state, access to abortion in Florida has shifted. Laura Goodhue, Executive Director of Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, sits down to talk with us about the status of abortion access in Florida and the outcome of the state ballot initiative in the November 2024 election. After the passage of S.B. 8 in Texas and the overturning of Roe, clinics in the northern area of Florida saw a quadrupled number of patients coming in from out of state seeking care. In May 2024, Florida passed a 6-week abortion ban, which has drastically impacted access for both Floridians and those traveling for abortion care. This year’s ballot initiative was aimed at passing a citizen-led Constitutional amendment clarifying that abortion is a decision to be left to a doctor and patient. It passed by 57%; but the current rule in Florida requires a 60% majority vote for the initiative to pass, so it did not go into effect. Find more information on Florida’s Amendment 4 here.For more information, check out When Science Finds a Way: https://wellcome.org/insights/podcastSupport the showFollow Us on Social: Twitter: @rePROsFightBack Instagram: @reprosfbFacebook: rePROs Fight Back Bluesky: @reprosfightback.bsky.socialBuy rePROs Merch: Bonfire store Email us: [email protected] and Review on Apple PodcastThanks for listening & keep fighting back!