The Quickie: Florida Six-Week Abortion Ban Takes Effect, Cutting Access in the South

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: Florida’s 6-week abortion ban takes effect, AZ Senate expected to repeal total abortion ban, a Fourth Circuit Court ruling, new PPFA EMTALA polling, and a PP Votes spotlight.

FLORIDA SIX-WEEK ABORTION BAN TAKES EFFECT, CUTTING ACCESS IN THE SOUTH: Today, Florida’s six-week abortion ban went into effect, leaving pregnant people across the south without access to care. NBC News reports from Miami: 

“Dr. Marian Sampson, a provider at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, said some patients were shocked that Monday was the last day to initiate the abortion process for those who are more than six weeks pregnant, given Florida's two-appointment requirement. (Come Wednesday, patients will need to show up to clinics a few days before the six-week mark to be eligible.)

“Other patients, she said, were not aware that Florida had banned abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy in 2022, or thought that the new law would outlaw abortion entirely and that ‘traveling out of state will lead to possible criminal repercussions’.”

Spokespeople for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and Planned Parenthood South, East, and North Florida are available for interviews. Please reach out to [email protected] for more information. 

ARIZONA SENATE EXPECTED TO REPEAL TOTAL BAN, BUT HURDLES REMAIN: Today at 10 AM PT, the Arizona Senate convenes for a session where they are expected to repeal the state’s 1864 total abortion ban. While the repeal would be a step forward for access, the total ban still could take effect this summer because lawmakers rejected an emergency clause. 

"If the total abortion ban is repealed, there could — without further legal action — still be a 'blackout' period where abortion is not legal in our state,'' Dr. Jill Gibson, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Arizona, told reporters last week. "We will be working with our partners in other states through our patient navigator program until we can resume providing abortion care,'' she said.

Even with repeal, Arizonans will still live under a 15-week abortion ban that has already denied patients access to care. 

Read more from the Arizona Republic and KAWC.

TODAY, IN GOOD NEWS: TRANS PATIENTS MUST RECEIVE COVERAGE FOR CARE THROUGH STATE INSURANCE PLAN AND MEDICAID PROGRAM, FOURTH CIRCUIT RULES: On Monday afternoon, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on two cases related to gender-affirming care, holding that a state health plan and Medicaid program unconstitutionally discriminated against trans people by preventing them from getting coverage for gender-affirming care. The ruling comes after North Carolinians and West Virginians sued to get coverage for this care, and means that more people will be able to access gender-affirming care. 

Read more from the Washington Post here.

NEW POLLING UNDERSCORES WHAT PPFA ALREADY KNEW — AMERICANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT ACCESS TO EMERGENCY ABORTION CARE: New polling released by Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) yesterday highlights widespread concern about abortion access and demonstrates there is overwhelming support for emergency medical care for pregnant patients — including abortion care. Key findings are below:

• Nearly seven out of ten (69%) adults are concerned about access to abortion in our country, including 56% of people who identify as conservative.
• By a 61-point margin, adults overwhelmingly support the existing federal law requiring hospital emergency rooms to provide emergency stabilizing medical care, including abortion — with 63% of people who identify as conservative and 72% of people who identify as moderate in agreement.

Read more on PPFA’s website about key insights from the poll here.

TRUMP’S VISION OF AMERIC: COMPLETE CONTROL OVER OUR BODIES AND LIVES: Yesterday, in an interview with Time, Donald Trump committed to an even crueler vision for a prospective second term —  one where he and his allies stop at nothing to further strip people’s ability to control their bodies and lives. In response, Jenny Lawson, executive director, Planned Parenthood Votes released the following statement: 

"Every time Donald Trump opens his mouth, he tells on himself. This interview underscores what we know he will do if he returns to the White House. In Trump's America, people will be punished for having abortions, the government will monitor women's pregnancies, and his allies are planning to weaponize and misuse the 19th-century Comstock laws to try to criminalize doctors and outlaw abortion nationwide. Because of Trump's last administration, in the 21 states — and counting — with abortion bans, every day we witness the cruelty he created. We know what a second Trump term will bring — more devastation and more bans taking away our ability to control our lives, bodies, and futures. Abortion is on the ballot this November. We'll continue to sound the alarm and make sure voters understand the very real threat Donald Trump poses to our democracy, personal freedom, and fundamental rights."

Read more in AP here.