But in a separate decision, the court said an amendment to enshrine abortion rights into the constitution will be allowed on the ballot in November.
The dueling decisions all but ensure abortion rights will be a major issue in Florida during a presidential election.
Five of the seven justices currently on the court were appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), and several have deep connections to the anti-abortion movement.
Keeping the 15-week abortion ban clears the way for a six-week ban to go into effect on May 1. The six-week ban includes exceptions for rape, incest, certain “fetal anomalies” and to save the life of the mother.
Even with a 15-week ban, Florida has become a haven for women seeking abortions from other states with even stricter laws, so the change in policy will be felt across the Southeast and beyond, as the influx of patients puts a strain on out-of-state abortion clinics.
But after living under one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans for months, voters in November will be able to decide if they want it to continue.
Facing an April 1 deadline to rule, the court sided with a coalition of abortion rights groups sponsoring the ballot initiative.
“The Florida Supreme Court was right to let the ballot initiative go before voters— and it’s a good thing they did because voters will need to head to the polls to undo the damage the court is causing with its decision to allow an extreme ban on abortion to go into effect,” Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of the abortion rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, said in a statement.
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