Democrats slam abortion restrictions, advocate to ‘restore stolen rights’ on anniversary of Roe

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Senate Democratic Caucus held a press conference to advocate for abortion rights in the state as well as recognized the anniversary of Roe v. Wade Monday.

The Democratic leaders recognized the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade and pointed to how it was overturned two years ago by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

“I feel like we have been pushed down to a third class of women and this is so so wrong,” said Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando.

“I think that one of the things that we used to do is work so hard, and we have been, every single one of us have worked very hard to restore the stolen rights that had happened to us,” Stewart said. “And to stop this suffering that has been resulted in where we are today. And so we’ve got to reverse where we’re headed, and we’ve got to go back to women’s rights.”

Abortion restrictions are undergoing legal challenges before the Florida Supreme Court. The six-week ban, passed in 2023, is not set to take effect until the court upholds 2022’s 15-week ban.

Abortion rights activists received enough signatures for a constitutional amendment to appear on the 2024 ballot, which aims to protect the right to abortion.

The abortion measure that would be on the 2024 ballot reads:

No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.

The constitutional amendment is headed to the Florida Supreme Court for approval.

Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, D-Davie, said abortion is “no longer a partisan issue.”

“Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike are uniting to fight back and restore the rights we have lost,” Book said. “Together, we are a powerful army working to protect and restore abortion rights at the ballot box. And together, we will win.”

Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, said Monday the Democratic Caucus looks forward to “absolutely winning it on the ballot.”

“Because a majority of male politicians should not be telling women what to do with their bodies,” Polsky said.

Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, said the ballot amendment means “hopefully,” voters in Florida will “change history.”

“But we know that the state of Florida has been in the wrong in the way that they have handled this issue and that the people need to come to the ballot and speak up and make sure that the change that we all want as women, as mothers, as daughters, and husbands and wives, all of us need here in the state of Florida,” Berman said.

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said Monday that “as Republicans push to restrict abortion nationwide, Democratic leaders, legislators and Florida voters are the last line of defense for reproductive rights in the South.”

The Democratic Caucus also criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis’ leadership.

A reporter asked Book about her thoughts on DeSantis. The governor suspended his 2024 campaign Sunday.

“I think that the rest of the country didn’t want to be Florida-ed, or his version of Florida,” Book said. “And while I was a little surprised at how quickly he got out, I think it was indicative of where the campaign was.”

Book said Democratic leaders are going to “try to unbury” themselves from the governor’s “political ambitions.”

“He’s really destroyed, I believe, a lot of who and what we are to be true through culture wars and we have a responsibility to go back and undo what he did,” Book said.

Another reporter asked if the Democratic Caucus thinks DeSantis may be a “different kind of governor” moving forward during the 2024 Legislative Session than he has been.

Polsky said she thinks there will be a “more independent legislature this year.”

“I just don’t think that [DeSantis] has the power anymore to require them to follow his agenda,” Polsky said. “They may agree with some of the policy things and the culture garbage, but I just don’t think it’s going to be at the same level. And, I think and I hope, it will be a more independent legislature.”

Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said she thinks the governor is “gonna come back without the power he had.”

“You’re going to see legislators standing up and pushing back,” Thompson said.

Berman said DeSantis was elected to govern the state, but “he hasn’t done that for the last year.”

“Now that he’s back, we’re asking him to govern and address the issues that really matter to people,” Berman said.

Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, recently filed HB 1519, entitled “Termination of Pregnancies,” which would implant a strict abortion ban in Florida.

The bill would enact third degree felony penalties for violators; though the party responsible would not be the mother, the bill text says.

It addresses individuals who prescribe or attempt the abortion, meaning a doctor or physician.

There are no trimester limits for the restriction, meaning the new Florida legislation is a total abortion ban from the moment of fertilization.

On the other hand, Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, recently filed a bill to protect Floridians’ right to an abortion.

HB 1457 is entitled “Protection of the Right to an Abortion.” The bill text declares the right to an abortion under the Florida Constitution’s right to privacy section.

It also clarifies that the right to an abortion only extends until the fetus “becomes capable of meaningful life outside the womb through standard medical measures.” It lays out that the end of the second trimester is where this limit likely ends.

If a woman is barred from an abortion during the allotted time period, under the bill, the party who prevents her is liable for damages.