An abortion rights group in Florida is suing state officials for suppressing free speech, alleging in their lawsuit that the state unconstitutionally threatened television stations that were airing its ads in favor of a ballot initiative that would overturn Florida’s extreme abortion ban.

Florida currently restricts all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, granting only nominal exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when a person’s life is at risk — a standard that, in practice, is rarely allowed due to the ambiguous language of the statute and doctors’ fears over being prosecuted. The ballot initiative in question, sometimes referred to as Amendment 4, would expand abortion rights up to the point of fetal viability, generally regarded as 22-25 weeks of pregnancy. Regulation of abortion could occur afterward, but […]