Roe v. Wade anniversary brings mixed feelings for abortion advocates this year

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Saturday marked the 49th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which determined abortion access is a protected constitutional right.

In Jacksonville, pro-choice organizations commissioned a mobile billboard to drive through the city on the anniversary to raise awareness of the reproductive health care options available in Florida.

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But those options could be severely limited this year if Florida Republicans get their way.

For Amber Gavin, vice president of A Woman’s Choice, the issue of reproductive health care is personal.

“You know when I was sexually assaulted in college I wanted access to safe reproductive healthcare. When I reached out to a provider, she was unwilling to provide me with Plan B because it was against her religious beliefs,” said Gavin.

Normally for Gavin, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade would be a time to commemorate the landmark decision that established a woman’s right to choose, but this year, there’s a very real possibility that right could be stripped away entirely.

Many on both sides of the issue expect the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade as soon as this summer.

“I do believe it’s going to be left to the states,” said Gavin.

In Florida, Republican lawmakers are already testing the waters to see what restrictions they can pass.

The current proposal would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

“We see folks every week that are later than 15 weeks into their pregnancy. You know a lot of these folks are already parents, and they know what goes into having other kids. And so this is not a decision that people are making lightly,” said Gavin.

But on the other side of the issue are those like Mary Huston, whom we spoke with at a pro-life demonstration Friday.

She believes 15 weeks doesn’t go far enough.

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“A baby is a baby from the moment it is conceived. So our hope would be again, that no man, no woman, no child go through what kills you,” said Huston.

The 15-week legislation has already cleared one committee in the Florida House, but so far it hasn’t been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate.

However, legislative leaders and the governor have signaled support, which means there’s a high probability it will be signed into law this year.

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