Florida’s 15-week abortion law hit with a second legal challenge

TALLAHASSEE — A South Florida Jewish congregation has challenged a new state regulation that blocks abortions right after 15 months of pregnancy, contending the evaluate violates privacy and spiritual flexibility legal rights.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Leon County circuit courtroom by Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor, seeks to block the legislation from taking outcome July 1. Abortion clinics also submitted a lawsuit this thirty day period in Leon County challenging the constitutionality of the restriction.

The two conditions contain allegations that the legislation, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April, violates a privateness right in the Florida Constitution that has lengthy played a pivotal position in abortion conditions in the state.

But the lawsuit filed Friday by the Palm Beach front County congregation also contends that the law violates spiritual flexibility legal rights.

“For Jews, all life is important and hence the determination to convey new lifetime into the globe is not taken evenly or determined by point out fiat,” the lawsuit reported. “In Jewish law, abortion is required if important to protect the health, psychological or bodily perfectly-staying of the woman, or for quite a few other factors not permitted under the act (the new regulation). As this kind of, the act prohibits Jewish gals from practising their religion absolutely free of government intrusion and hence violates their privateness legal rights and spiritual liberty.”

The lawsuit also stated congregation users and other men and women who “do not share the religious views mirrored in the act will undergo … irreparable harm by possessing their spiritual liberty below the Florida Constitution violated.”

“This failure to maintain the separation of church and state, like so many other laws in other lands through historical past, threatens the Jewish family members, and as a result also threatens the Jewish men and women by imposing the rules of other religions upon Jews,” the lawsuit explained.

The 15-7 days abortion limit was a single of the most controversial concerns of this year’s legislative session and arrived as the U.S. Supreme Courtroom considers the constitutionality of a similar Mississippi regulation. A leaked draft impression in the Supreme Court docket circumstance indicated justices could use it to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision.

When DeSantis signed the monthly bill, he held an function at a Kissimmee church, with screens exhibiting the information, “Florida protege el derecho la vida,” or “Florida guards the proper to lifestyle.”

“We are right here these days to secure everyday living. We are below right now to defend people who just cannot protect by themselves,” DeSantis mentioned.

The legislation stops medical professionals from doing abortions following 15 months, based on the first day of the woman’s past menstrual period. It involves limited exemptions, this kind of as in conditions when medical professionals certify that abortions are necessary to save the life of expecting gals.

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The lawsuit filed Friday names as defendants DeSantis and various other point out officials. It has been assigned to Circuit Choose Layne Smith. The other case filed June 1 by abortion clinics is pending ahead of Circuit Choose John Cooper.

By Jim Saunders, News Services of Florida