Florida Supreme Court halts abortion waiting period, for now

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Supreme Court is suspending the state’s 24-hour waiting period for abortions until it decides whether to hear a lawsuit claiming the law is unconstitutional.

The court made its 5-2 decision Friday, two months after an appeals court allowed the law to go into effect.

Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed the waiting period into law last year. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sued to overturn the law on behalf of a Gainesville clinic.

The group claims the waiting period is causing unnecessary hardship for women seeking abortions and that the Florida Constitution protects their private medical decisions.

While the court’s decision doesn’t guarantee it will review the law, it’s a good indication that it will.

Justices Ricky Polston and Charles Canady opposed the decision.