Lynda Bell of Florida Right to Life tells AFN the Florida Agency for Health Care and Administration (AHCA) has zeroed in on the Center of Orlando for Women, a child termination clinic that broke a new law 193 times within 17 days of it taking effect.
The rule, which lawmakers passed in 2015 and instated in April 2022 after a judge dismissed the American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit against it, mandates that women must receive an ultrasound and a full explanation of the risks posed by abortion at least 24 hours before the procedure takes place.
In other words, a pregnant woman must consider the facts about abortion for a minimum of 24 hours before she can legally end her preborn child's life.
"They literally violated this rule almost 200 times," Bell exclaims about the abortion clinic. "This is not like it was one or two or three. They … knew that they were completely ignoring [the law]."
According to the final order, "[The abortion clinic's] office manager admitted she knew about the law, yet did not change Respondent's operating procedures to comply with it."
The clinic reportedly did not dispute the charges brought by the state, but it argued that the fine was steep in comparison to the legal violation.
"They wanted the charges dropped, and then they wanted the fees reduced -- I think it was $67,500 or so," Bell details. "Then AHCA came back in its final decision just this week and ordered that the clinic has to pay the whole $193,000 fine."
She says there is solid reasoning behind the legal requirement for a woman to wait 24 hours after she has applied for an abortion.
"This is a life-changing, life-altering, and life-ending procedure," the pro-lifer points out. "Of course women and children and girls [should] have a time to reflect on what this could possibly mean for them and their lives."
Some states require a wait of 48 hours.
