UF students concerned about Florida Supreme Court abortion rulings; eager to vote in November

Some University of Florida students feel backed into a corner by a six-week abortion ban that the Florida Supreme Court on Monday allowed to take effect on May 1.

A 6-1 opinion ruled that abortion is not protected by the state Constitution. The court ruled that a 15-week abortion ban enacted in 2022 is constitutional, and also approved a later law that bans the procedure six weeks after pregnancy.

However, a separate decision from the court gives Florida voters the opportunity to vote on the right to an abortion “before viability,” usually around 24 weeks, on the November ballot.

Isabella Zaidon, a 19-year-old UF advertising freshman, already felt that the 15-week abortion ban was “an incredibly short amount of time.”

“So, now that it's six weeks, it's really, really scary,” she said. “I sometimes think about, what if me or one of my friends will need an abortion and we only have six weeks? We would have to see if there are other options beyond the state of Florida. And if need be, I will drive across the country.”

Zaidon said she is grateful for the opportunity to vote on the amendment that will be on the November ballot, and she is excited to vote for the first time.

“We should all have the choice of what to do with our bodies, man or woman, when it comes to anything regarding bodily autonomy or health and pregnancy,” she said.

Nataly Ignatowicz, a 21-year-old UF journalism senior, does not believe abortion is necessary, unless under extreme circumstances, including those where rape and incest are involved.

Despite describing her position on abortion as “pro-life,” she feels six weeks is too strict and will not give women enough time to figure out their circumstances.

“As someone who's Catholic, we tend to view from the child's life because we do believe maybe not everyone does,” she said. “But six weeks can be very early for some individuals. It’s common for women to have irregular periods. There are some cases of sexual assault where people aren't really fully aware that they've been sexually assaulted. It's a very complex thing.”

Medina Dasayev, an 18-year-old UF political science and sociology freshman, thinks all voters should seek to educate themselves more about abortion and women’s health.

“I think that a lot of people are misinformed about as a whole,” Dasayev said. “I don't think religious beliefs belong in law. So I think it's just important to be aware of the facts and create your own opinion based around that.”

Other UF students don’t think the six-week ban will be an issue.

Lucy Walter, a UF political science junior, thinks the decision is a testament to an increasing amount of anti-abortion support led by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“After 50 years of constitutionally protected abortions, the Dobbs ruling is giving a voice back to the voiceless,” Walter said. “Life is guaranteed as an unalienable right.”

Ashley Sanguino, the outreach director for Planned Parenthood Generation Action at UF, said the student organization is supporting Planned Parenthood’s #YesOn4 initiatives and asking UF students to vote for the amendment in November.

Related coverage: Florida Supreme Court signs off on abortion rights amendment for November ballot

The organization plans on tabling, collaborating with other student organizations and promoting voter registration on campus in the meantime.

“We're really focusing on the positive of bringing this amendment to the forefront, getting people to go to the ballot in the first place and voice their opinion on this important issue,” Sanguino said.

The organization is hosting an event for the group behind the initiative, Floridians Protecting Freedom, on April 20.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Abortion rulings from state high court draw reactions on UF campus