The Florida Supreme Court has decided to put the state’s 24 hour abortion waiting period back on hold. The law won’t take effect until the high court decides how it will proceed.
Under a provision signed into law in 2015, women seeking abortions in Florida must wait 24 hours between an initial consultation and having the procedure. The American Civil Liberties Union launched a legal challenge almost immediately, arguing the waiting period violates Florida’s constitutional privacy provisions. A trial court agreed, blocking the law from taking effect, but the First District Court of Appeal invalidated that ruling. Now the state Supreme Court has put the measure back on hold. In a five-two vote the justices suspended the law until they decide if they’ll take up the case.
