WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Texas woman who traveled to Colorado for an abortion because of her state’s strict abortion law is speaking out against Florida's new six-week abortion ban as it takes effect.

What You Need To Know

  •  Abortion rights advocate Lauren Miller is blasting Florida's six-week abortion ban that went into effect Wednesday

  •  Miller had to travel out of her home state for an abortion due to strict laws in Texas

  •  Florida voters will decide on abortion rights ballot initiative in November

Lauren Miller learned she was pregnant with twins in July 2022 but later found out one of the twins had severe abnormalities, with no chance to survive. Because of Texas’ strict abortion laws, she had to leave the state for an abortion. 

“Despite the risk to myself, despite the risk to our healthy twin, all any doctors, nurses or genetic counselors could say was every day that I continued the twin pregnancy, our unviable twin put his healthy brother and myself at greater risk,” Miller said. “And that’s the end of health care in Texas these days.”

After receiving an abortion in Colorado, Miller later gave birth to the viable twin. But, she says leaving Texas to get abortion care cost thousands of dollars, versus a $50 co-pay. 

“It still haunts me. This is still something that I wake up a year and a half later with nightmares of being hunted and losing my son because of how physically and psychologically traumatic this experience is now, because you’re just trying to save your life and you feel like you’re doing something wrong for that,” Miller said. 

Miller has become an abortion rights advocate, speaking out against laws like the one in Florida that took effect Wednesday. It bans most abortions in the state after six-weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions for rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger. 

Opponents of abortion rights say they are celebrating the law going into effect.

“According to data from the Florida Health Department and a study that ... Charlotte Lozier Institute put together, based off of that data it’s estimated that about 50,000 lives will be saved annually with this law in effect,” said Caitlin Connors, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Southern Regional Director. 

But supporters of abortion rights say they are not giving up on the issue in the Sunshine State.

“We have an amendment that over a million voters were able to sign a petition to get on the ballot in Florida, Amendment Four that would enshrine abortion rights, reproductive rights into the state constitution and that’ll be on the ballot in November,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

“Every single person needs to be making two plans if they’re in Florida. The first is their plan to get out of state if they need an abortion. And, the second is their plan to vote in November, because neither of those are last-minute things anymore. Those are things we need to start planning now,” Miller said.