A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday to prevent Florida’s health officials from taking action against television stations that aired advertisements supporting a ballot measure aimed at rolling back the state’s abortion restrictions.
U.S. District Chief Judge Mark Walker of the Northern District of Florida ruled in favor of Floridians Protecting Freedom, the coalition that sued state health officials over a cease-and-desist letter sent to TV stations airing the ad.
The group filed the lawsuit on Oct. 15, alleging that the state’s threat to prosecute broadcast stations for airing the ad amounted to a “deeply disturbing example of unconstitutional coercion.”…