Roe V. Wade: Most FL Patch Readers Don’t Want Abortion Ruling Overturned, Survey Shows

FLORIDA — With questions swirling around the fate of Roe v. Wade after a leaked document indicated the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn its decision in the case, many Patch readers in Florida said they think the landmark abortion ruling should remain in place.

“This is a major step back for women, not to mention basic human freedoms and the right to make choices. One of the reasons our country came into being,” one reader wrote.

A draft majority opinion from the nation’s highest court was reportedly leaked to Politico last week. Though a decision on the case isn’t expected until late June or July, this leaked majority opinion, written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, shows that the court is ready to strike down Roe v. Wade, as well as Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the case that affirmed a woman’s right to obtain an abortion.

Related Story: Abortion Ban Likely In FL If Roe V. Wade Is Overturned

In a recent Florida Patch survey, about 71 percent of respondents said they don’t think the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade, which made abortion a right nationwide. Nearly 28 percent of respondents said they think the ruling should be overturned, while 1 percent was uncertain.

Patch received 1,160 responses to the survey, which is meant not to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

“Roe v Wade does not make a woman get an abortion. It makes it safe for a woman to get an abortion rather than doing it herself or finding a coat hanger and a back alley,” one respondent wrote. “While I do not support abortion, I do not feel it is my right to tell anyone what they can or cannot do with their own medical decisions.”

Another reader said, “Women have a right to make decisions about their own bodies, but in the case of pregnancy there is also another life to consider. I believe in protecting life. I do think women with unwanted pregnancies for whatever reason should have support and help but not in the form of killing a human fetus.”

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, many states will likely create their own abortion laws. In this case, Florida is likely to ban abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The state Legislature attempted to pass both a 20-week and a six-week abortion ban in 2021.

Most respondents — about 75 percent — said they don’t think Florida should pass a strict statewide abortion ban if Roe v. Wade is struck down. Another 22 percent said that the state should adopt a strict abortion ban, while 3 percent were unsure.

While some readers felt abortion should be a state issue rather than a federal issue, one reader wrote, “It would be sadly predictable; but I don't put much faith in the desire of Florida politicians to do what's best for Floridians to begin with.”

Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 5, better known as the Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality Act, into law. The 15-week abortion ban, which takes effect July 1, doesn't grant exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking.

About 64 percent of survey respondents said they don’t support Florida’s new 15-week abortion ban, while 30 percent said they do. Meanwhile, 5.5 percent of respondents are uncertain about whether they support it.

“I think abortion should be legal for cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is at risk. I do not think it should be used as a form of birth control,” one survey respondent said.

Most respondents — about 73 percent — also believe that abortion should be legal in most cases. About 24 percent of respondents think it shouldn’t be legal in most cases, while nearly 3 percent are unsure.

“Women should have the right to make all medical decisions without interference from the government. This is a very intrusive move by the government,” another reader wrote. “Why are we moving backwards in our freedoms as women? Next, we might have our right to vote taken away. What is wrong with this country, wanting to move backwards?”