WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Calling it a "heartbreaking day," officials at Planned Parenthood in West Palm Beach said staff members at the health clinic are in tears Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which legalized abortions in America.
That means states can now make their own laws regarding whether a woman can have an abortion.
"The freedom to decide if and when to have a family is one of our most precious freedoms. And this is overturning over half a century of precedents," said Laura Goodhue, the executive director of Planned Parenthood in West Palm Beach.
WATCH: Interview with Planned Parenthood in West Palm Beach
Goodhue said the high court's decision will take basic freedoms away from women and will leave a whole generation without the right to make decisions for themselves.
"Abortion is safe and legal in the state of Florida, for the moment," Goodhue said. "However, extremists have taken over an agenda to take away our rights to bodily autonomy."
In issuing its highly controversial ruling, the Supreme Court said Roe v. Wade was "egregiously wrong" and "on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided."
"It's a heartbreaking day. We knew it was coming. But we're gonna have to keep fighting back in the Florida Legislature so that they don't completely ban abortion in the state of Florida," Goodhue said.
A new Florida law is set to go into effect on July 1 which bans abortions in the Sunshine State after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Currently, women in Florida cannot legally receive an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, the new legislation will shorten that time period by nine weeks.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said in April the new law "protects the rights of unborn children."
WATCH: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks about 15-week abortion ban
Planned Parenthood has filed a lawsuit against the DeSantis Administration, challenging the 15-week abortion ban.
"We're serving patients today. We're gonna be here for our patients no matter what," Goodhue said. "We will continue to fight for our patients. We believe this is a very important right."
At least 13 states have so-called "trigger laws," meaning abortions can be banned completely now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Florida is not one of those states.
