TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In the final week of Florida's legislative session, it appears a bill has stalled that would have required minors to get parental consent before having an abortion.

Florida law currently requires parents to be notified if their daughter is planning to have an abortion, but the bill which already passed the House, goes further by requiring parental consent. The bill includes exemptions for situations such as minors who have health emergencies or who already have children.

However, opponents such as Kimberly Scott, director of public policy with the Florida Alliance for Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said the policy would be a safety risk and would keep vulnerable teens from accessing timely medical care.

"Especially for those that might be abused or neglected or are homeless or foster youth that unfortunately may not have a good relationship with their parents, you know they have dysfunctional family environments,” Scott said.

Supporters claim parents have a unique perspective to advise a child. While the Republican-led House voted 69-44 largely along party lines for the bill, the Senate version still has two committee stops, and is one vote shy of the required supermajority to send the bill directly to the Senate floor for a vote.

The lawmaking session ends Friday, May 3.

Minors who do not wish to involve their parents can seek a waiver from a court to bypass the consent requirement; but they would have to convince a judge that they are mature enough to choose abortion for themselves. Scott said requiring consent only adds unnecessary barriers to an already difficult and emotional process.

"It stigmatizes, one, this procedure,” she said. “But two, it alienates these minors to seek perhaps other unsafe methods of getting what they are trying to get."

A previous law was ruled unconstitutional in 1989 by the Florida Supreme Court over concern for privacy rights. If the bill were to pass this legislative session, it could stand a chance of being upheld in a Supreme Court challenge, since the high court has three new conservative justices.

Leading medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, all oppose parental-consent laws.


get more stories like this via email

Texas lawmakers passed the Life of the Mother Act during the legislative session. It was billed as legislation to clarify when doctors in the state can legally perform an abortion.

Texas adopted one of the most restrictive abortion bans in 2021. The ban allows the procedure only if the life of the mother is in danger or there is a risk of impairment of a primary bodily function.

Houston-based OB/GYN Dr. Damla Karsan said, despite the "clarification," medical professionals are still hesitant to provide care in most cases.

"It's been frustrating, because I feel restricted in my ability to offer them the full scope of options for their care," said Karsan. "I know it's really had a chilling effect on all my colleagues, and myself as well."

Karsan was involved in two legal challenges to the abortion ban, including the case of Kate Cox.

The Houston mother of two received national attention after traveling to another state to have an abortion after it was determined her third child would not survive.

Backers of the new legislation say it ensures women who have medical emergencies can get an abortion.

It defines "life-threatening" as a condition that's capable of causing death or serious injury. A survey of OB/GYNs in the state shows 60% of those who responded fear legal repercussions.

Karsan said if women need abortion care, there are organizations available to help.

"I direct a lot of people to the National Network of Abortion Funds," said Karsan. "Their website can connect you if you want to donate, if you want to volunteer, but also if you're looking for care. As usual it's the poor, the disenfranchised that are going to suffer the most."

According to the survey, many doctors are leaving the state or going into early retirement because of the abortion ban.




get more stories like this via email

Fighting for a wide range of people with a skill for compromise, is how Rep. Melissa Hortman, D-Brooklyn Park, is being remembered for following her assassination Saturday.

A civic engagement group said she was a shining example of a woman in politics. Hortman's murder is seen by political observers as a stunning and tragic example of the increasingly violent tone surrounding public office in America. Hortman served as Minnesota House Speaker from 2019 until earlier this year, leading Democrats during power-sharing negotiations with Republicans in an evenly-divided chamber.

Michelle Witte, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota, said Hortman stayed true to the mission of an elected official.

"Obviously, (a) rise to power but also just being in the community working at all levels, at the local level to engage people in issues that are important to them," Witte recounted.

Witte noted Hortman's willingness to make tough decisions was on display this spring when finalizing a new budget, as she received pushback from her own party during the negotiations. Witte pointed out Minnesota still has gaps in electing women legislators, despite having more female politicians than over half the states in the U.S.

She added Hortman was among the most notable women in politics statewide, with others including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn.

In 2023, Hortman was credited for spearheading several major policies including paid medical leave, abortion protections, and a universal school meal program. While this year's power-sharing agreement with Republicans did have moments of friction, Witte said Hortman's arrangement with GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth was symbolic of women succeeding in the world of politics.

"The League of Women Voters, we actually made a card out of the great handshake between Melissa Hortman and Lisa Demuth when they reach their power-sharing agreement," Witte recalled. "I was so proud of that because that is what we really work for at the League, is seeing that working together."

Witte hopes voters pay more attention to those examples of bipartisanship and appreciate elected leaders who go above and beyond to serve the public. She acknowledged the attacks on Minnesota lawmakers may make people feel anxious about taking part in democracy, adding the country needs to promote voter safety and prevent future candidates from being silenced.


get more stories like this via email

Women college graduates are not sticking to traditional compatibility traits when choosing a husband, according to one study. Preferences are changing as economics play a larger role.

American Institute for Boys and Men data say female college graduates have difficulty finding equally-educated partners.

University of Indianapolis Sociology Professor Amanda Miller, PhD, said historically, college-educated women married within the same circles.

Instead of foregoing marriage entirely, Miller explained, more are deciding on "exogamy" - marrying outside their social group.

"They're dipping down into a group of men who do not have a college education, but who do make a good living financially," said Miller. "College-educated women - if they can't find a man who has a degree - they're marrying, for example, someone who's a general contractor and has his own business, or a union pipefitter who makes a really good living."

The study found that marriage rates for college-educated women remain stable, even as their primary partners -- college-educated men -- become scarce.

Only about 50% of college-educated women marry a man at the same education level, while roughly 25% marry someone without a college degree. Another 25% remain single.

According to the research site World Population Review, in Indiana 50% of men and almost 48% of women are married.

Miller said remaining single or having a baby out of wedlock no longer carries the stigma it has in previous generations.

She added that the "working class" often has conservative or very traditional family values, and most people's beliefs and behaviors don't always go together.

"So, if you ask people with a high school diploma or perhaps an associate's degree or some college, 'Is it okay to have a baby out of wedlock? Is it okay to get divorced? Is it okay to cohabit?'" said Miller, "their answer is often 'no.' The flip side happens when we talk to the college-educated - they don't actually do those things themselves."

Miller also noted a decrease in women out-earning or being more educated than their husbands.

She observed that as college-educated women choose to marry men without college degrees, fewer working-class men marry women of a similar background.