Federal Judge Stops Parts Of Florida’s New Abortion Law

Tallahassee, FL – A federal judge stepped in late Thursday to block portions of a new Florida law related to abortions.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s injunction essentially stops the state from denying public funding for health services provided by organizations that also perform abortions. Planned Parenthood estimated that provision of the law would have siphoned about $500,000 a year from its ability to provide a variety of services, including health screenings, several media outlets have reported.

Hinkle also put a hold on a portion of the law that would have required annual state inspection of some patient medical records.

Thursday’s injunction did not impact a portion of the law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within a reasonable proximity. It also did not address the definitions used by the state for dates of gestation and pregnancy trimesters.

Barbara A. Zdravecky, president of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, issued a statement after Hinkle’s ruling:

“We continue to call this law what it is: a political attack aimed at Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health care providers,” she said. “Women don’t turn to politicians for advice about mammograms, prenatal care, or cancer treatments. Politicians should not be involved in a woman’s personal medical decisions about her pregnancy.”

Hinkle’s injunction provides a temporary stay on the two specific portions of the law until he issues a full ruling at a later date. How soon that ruling may come is unclear.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday to strike down a Texas law with a provision similar to Florida’s that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. The Texas law spelled out a 30-mile requirement. Florida’s law requires only “reasonable proximity.” What the Supreme Court ruling means for that provision of Florida’s law is still under review.

Image via Shutterstock