Abortion-rights advocates clear way to overturn Missouri ban but lose in Florida

Missouri

Abortion-rights advocates in Missouri have cleared the way for a legal challenge to the state's ban on the procedure at eight weeks of pregnancy. A state appeals court on Tuesday allowed Planned Parenthood to bypass a lower court and go straight to the Missouri Supreme Court. The ban, which was passed in 2019, has been blocked by a lower court since June. Planned Parenthood argues that the ban is unconstitutional because it violates the right to privacy under the Missouri Constitution.

The Missouri Supreme Court will now decide whether to hear the case. If the court does hear the case, it could overturn the lower court's ruling and allow the ban to go into effect. However, the court could also uphold the lower court's ruling and keep the ban blocked.

Florida

In Florida, abortion-rights advocates lost a major legal battle on Tuesday. A federal appeals court upheld a lower court's ruling that blocked a 15-week abortion ban. The ban, which was passed in 2022, was one of the most restrictive in the country. Abortion-rights advocates argued that the ban was unconstitutional because it violated the right to privacy under the U.S. Constitution.

The federal appeals court disagreed, ruling that the ban was constitutional. The court said that the state has a legitimate interest in protecting the unborn and that the ban was narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. The court also said that the ban did not impose an undue burden on women seeking abortions.

The ruling is a major setback for abortion-rights advocates in Florida. It is likely that the ban will go into effect in the coming weeks. However, abortion-rights advocates have vowed to continue fighting the ban in court.