This lawsuit follows one filed in Leon County Circuit Court June by a South Florida Jewish congregation that also argues the new law, which provides no exceptions for rape and incest, violates rights to privacy and religion. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo By Matt Dixon 08/02/2022 01:22 PM EDT TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A collection of faith groups is suing Florida over its 15-week abortion ban, the third legal challenge to the state’s controversial new abortion law. The lawsuit , filed Monday in Miami-Dade County Court, argues that the new law, passed by lawmakers during the 2022 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, violates constitutional freedom of speech, the free exercise of religion and the constitutional separation of Church and State. “For decades, the Catholic bishops and Evangelical right wing have claimed a singular religious high ground on the issue of abortion rights, and tried to label anyone opposed to their views as ‘secularists,’” said Marci Hamilton, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, who is representing the plaintiffs. “Yet there are millions of Americans whose deeply held religious beliefs, speech and conduct are being substantially burdened by restrictive abortion bans.” The lawsuit was […]
