Florida Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Ban and Clears Path for Ballot Initiative

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled to allow a proposed ballot measure, Amendment 4, which would limit government intervention in abortion procedures, to appear on the November ballot, while also upholding Florida's 15-week abortion ban. The court's decision paves the way for the six-week "heartbeat" ban signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to go into effect, making Florida less permissive than neighboring states. Planned Parenthood's challenge to the law based on Florida's privacy protections was rejected by the court. Amendment 4, introduced by Floridians Protecting Freedoms, seeks to allow abortions before viability while still requiring parental notification for minors. If passed with 60% support, it will supersede the six-week ban.