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A North Florida judge temporarily blocked a 24 hour abortion waiting period law from taking effect Wednesday, but the decision was immediately appealed. As Matt Galka tells us, that meant the law did apply to Floridians, but opponents continued the fight.

July 1^st is typically a day where new laws take effect and plenty did in Florida.  130 new rules hit Floridians Wednesday, but at least 1 is up in the air.

The American Civil Liberties Union successfully challenged a 24 hour abortion waiting period law that had a July 1^st start date. It requires women to wait 24 hours and make two visits to the clinic before they can get an abortion. A judge granted a temporary injunction late Tuesday.

“This law had absolutely no medical justification. It was completely grounded in politics, and at the end of the day the state was unable to satisfy it’s burden of showing why this law was medically necessary,” said ACLU Legal Director Nancy Abudu.

Attorney’s for the state argued last week that the law isn’t an added burden on women.

“This is still her decision to make, there is nothing in this law that is taking away her right to make a decision, the question of whether there’s a 24 hour wait giving her time to contemplate the full impact and ramifications of the decision is obviously what we’ve been talking about,” said Special Counsel Blaine Winship.

The judge didn’t agree. But soon after the ruling, Florida’s Attorney General appealed the decision. That meant the law went on the books Wednesday.  Clinics we called were following the rules for now.

The case is one of many challenges the state has had to defend against.

The legal challenge comes on the heels of a recently settled lawsuit between the state and ACLU over the Governor’s failed push to drug test welfare recipients and state workers. Taxpayers picked up the tab for legal fees. The cost was more than $1.5 million dollars.

The ACLU requested the judge put the injunction back into place while the challenge is deliberated.  Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office did not comment on pending litigation. The temporary pause on the lawsuit is only meant to provide clarity while the judge decides the overall case of whether or not the law is constitutional.