Florida's parental notification law was upheld in federal court by U.S. District Judge William Stafford. The ruling was a blow to Planned Parenthood and its affiliate abortion clinics.

In 2004, Florida's constitution was amended to overrule a previous decision by the Florida Supreme Court, which struck down Florida's parental notification law. The constitutional amendment provided that the legislature may enact laws that require minors to notify their parents prior to obtaining an abortion. The Florida legislature passed such a law that went into effect on June 30, 2005. Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, along with three abortion clinics and two doctors, filed suit seeking to block the law. Judge Stafford denied the emergency request to block the law. The court has now issued a final ruling in which the opinion states: "Florida has carefully crafted a parental notification statute that serves a compelling state interest." Judge Stafford relied upon the recent Supreme Court decision involving parental notification law in New Hampshire. The court wrote that states have a right to require parental involvement because of their "strong legitimate interest in the welfare" of minors who may lack the maturity, experience or judgment to choose whether to have an abortion.

Mathew D. Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, stated: "This ruling is a victory for parents and children, born and unborn. Planned Parenthood cannot claim that it is interested in the well-being of the family when it seeks to draw an iron curtain between parents and children. In America, we've always had a strong presumption that parents act in the best interest of children. It is hypocritical to require parents to incur the cost of an abortion, while at the same time prohibiting them from having any knowledge of this life and death event."

Day of Purity Celebrated Worldwide

Today is the third annual Day of Purity that will be celebrated throughout the United States and in 14 foreign countries. Today is a day where youth around the world are wearing white to celebrate their commitment to remaining sexually pure until they enter into a committed marriage relationship. One of the Day of Purity participants, Ally Hall, told the Los Angeles Times, "The most romantic way to celebrate Feb. 14 is to honor it as a 'Day of Purity,' by pledging to remain chaste until marriage."

A resolution passed by the city of Morehead, Kentucky, declares today, February 14, as the city’s Day of Purity. Morehead joins other governmental entities declaring today as the Day of Purity. Ohio led the way last year by becoming the first state to proclaim February 14 as the Day of Purity.