ORLANDO, Fla. – Reproductive rights issues are a concern across the country and here in Florida, where laws surrounding abortions have recently changed.
On Wednesday, two women campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris held a news conference to share their stories. Amanda Zurawski says she nearly died because of Texas abortion bans.
Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana says her life was in danger, due to a complication early on in her second pregnancy.
“I went to several different hospitals to get care and no one wanted to have that conversation,” Joshua told News 6.
[RELATED: Where abortion stands in Florida right now, from the law to the ballot amendment]
Joshua says she couldn’t get the help she needed in Louisiana or even nearby states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade in 2022. That ruling allowed states to decide whether abortion should be legal in that state. Joshua ended up naturally miscarrying and now travels to states like Florida to fight for reproductive rights.
In 2023, the Florida Legislature passed a bill, which Governor DeSantis signed into law, to limit abortions to six weeks.
There is a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that would limit government interference in abortion.
Voters will have a chance to make their voices heard when they head to the polls in November.
Amendment 4 will be on the ballot, but it needs 60% of the vote to pass.
State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Ocoee, is headed to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week as a delegate.
She says she will reinforce the fight for women’s reproductive rights here at home.
“This is about privacy, and as a lawmaker, my job is to protect privacy, and not be involved in people’s privacy,” said Bracy Davis. “Here is the bottom line. If you don’t believe in abortion, that’s OK, you just don’t have a right to tell someone else what to do with their body.”
Joshua was told she may have problems with future pregnancies but recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl after her third pregnancy.
“I advocate across the country against the destruction of reproductive freedom rights, which we are seeing in real-time,” Joshua said.
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