This week Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill banning abortion after six weeks of gestation – which is before most people know that they are pregnant. An ongoing legal challenge concerning the state’s bill banning care after 15 weeks is currently before the Florida Supreme Court – and the six-week ban signed this week will be on hold until the court rules on that policy.
Serra Sippel, Interim Executive Director of The Brigid Alliance, said today:
“The passage of the Florida bill banning abortions after six weeks of gestation is the latest in a long line of assaults on access to abortion care. This bill will have a devastating impact not only on Floridians, but also on the thousands of people who travel to abortion providers in Florida from neighboring states with highly restrictive or total abortion bans.”
“Since the Dobbs decision, which led to Florida’s 15-week abortion ban, The Brigid Alliance has helped 144 Floridians travel across state lines to access an abortion – the second highest number of people we have served from any state except Texas. As a result of this bill, we’ll undoubtedly see demand for our services among Floridians grow even more.”
“In addition, people across the South were already traveling hundreds of miles to Florida to access a provider. Now, they will be forced to travel even farther to receive care, putting even more pressure on already overburdened abortion providers nationwide. People forced to travel for abortions face a dizzying array of challenges – from paying for transportation and lodging, to missing out on income, to arranging childcare.”
“This bill puts politics over patients, so it’s no wonder a majority of Floridians oppose it. They understand that this bill is a direct attack on people’s ability to access the healthcare they need. But no matter how many obstacles anti-abortion zealots throw at us, we will continue to do everything in our power to support people traveling long distances to get to an abortion provider – and back home – safely and with dignity. The Brigid Alliance was built for this moment, and we are not going anywhere.”