When a federal court lifted a permanent injunction on Tuesday, Florida will be able to defund Planned Parenthood on June 1.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida overturned the permanent injunction on a portion of House Bill 1411, which forbids state and municipal funds from traveling to abortion facilities, according to a report by Breitbart News.

In his order, Hinkle said that the "fundamental underpinning of the 2016 finding was the right to an abortion under Roe v. Wade." The earlier directive, however, no longer had legal footing when Roe was reversed in the Supreme Court's Roberts ruling last year.

Background

In February, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a request to restore Florida's right to defund the abortion business. The Dobbs decision, according to Moody, "makes apparent that there is no constitutional right to abortion and that Supreme Court precedents claiming otherwise were 'egregiously erroneous from the outset."

"As a result, the State may legally prohibit abortion inside its borders," the motion states.

On Tuesday, Moody revealed the court's decision.

“[I’m] proud to secure a victory in our case about whether Floridians should be forced to fund Planned Parenthood. The court reinstated what the legislature passed in 2016—a ban on state funds supporting clinics that provide abortions,” she wrote.

Reaction

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued a statement in support of Moody’s efforts when she filed the motion.

“The Office of Governor Ron DeSantis is fully behind this action from the Attorney General and we support this move to fully defund Planned Parenthood from any taxpayer support,” DeSantis’s office said.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Planned Parenthood anticipated a $500,000 yearly loss in its 2016 lawsuit. At the time, Planned Parenthood told WTSP News 10 Tampa Bay that the state is "jeopardizing Floridians' health."

“Thousands of Floridians with low incomes turn to Planned Parenthood health centers for essential preventive care like STI testing and treatment, cancer screening and birth control,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement.

“Now, the state is jeopardizing Floridians’ health by blocking Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida from receiving funding for these services.”

But according to Life News, the law “will not cut taxpayer funding for healthcare” and will instead “redirect that money to clinics that offer real medical care and not elective abortions that kill unborn babies.”

Florida's governor is expected to throw his hat into the ring as a Republican candidate for president in 2024.