Florida judge OKs 24-hour wait for abortions

After a seven-year battle, a judge has approved a 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Florida.

Driving the news: Leon County Circuit Court judge Angela Dempsey ruled Friday that a 2015 law that called for patients to wait 24 hours after initial visits with physicians before having abortions is constitutional, per News Service of Florida.

• Abortion providers have until April 30 to take steps like rescheduling appointments.

Why it matters: It's another victory for abortion opponents in Florida, as Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to sign a law that will ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Flashback: When the law passed in 2015, it immediately drew the legal challenge and has been stuck in the courts since.

What they're saying: Dempsey pointed out in her ruling that 26 other states have similar restrictions, some of which have been in effect for years.

• She added that other important decisions like getting married, getting divorced and buying a gun have longer waiting periods.

The other side: State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, a former Planned Parenthood spokesperson, said in a tweeted video, "This is going to create ridiculous unnecessary barriers like childcare, transportation costs, maybe even lodging if the abortion provider's not close to you."