All that’s left for a six-week abortion ban to become law in Florida is the signature of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Bill passed the Florida House on Thursday afternoon. The law not only bans abortion after six weeks – the point at which most people don’t know they’re pregnant – but also bans telehealth for abortion care and provides $25 million per year for anti-abortion pregnancy centers lie.
DeSantis is expected to sign the ban into law, but it won’t take effect until the Florida Supreme Court rules on a challenge to the state’s 15-week abortion ban. Abortion rights groups were not optimistic about the decision, as DeSantis stacked the court with conservative justices after three longtime judges retired in recent years.
The success of the abortion ban is important for DeSantis, who must complete his anti-abortion record before running for president in 2024. Although he has yet to announce a presidential bid, DeSantis will likely face a crowded Republican primary pool in 2024, including well-known anti-choice advocates, former Pres. Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.
DeSantis has been supportive more laws and more extreme in recent years. He banned Black history books and courses, banned gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors and passed laws to allow hidden do without permission. DeSantis also expanded his powers to crack down on voter fraud — especially since voting booths are one of the citizens. just a tool to fight abortion bans.
Unlike the current 15-week abortion ban, the six-week ban includes exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking, but only up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. To request an abortion, the victim “must provide a copy of the restraining order, police report, medical record, or court order or other documentation” to prove she was a victim of rape or incest, according to the bill.
The ban also includes an exception for the life of a pregnant woman if two doctors certify in writing that the woman will die if she continues the pregnancy. Some Democrats have criticized the two-doctor requirement, citing a shortage of doctors in rural areas that could prevent women from receiving life-saving care.
Lawmakers and Floridians are passionately discussing the six-week ban introduced in March. After the ban passed the Senate earlier this month, 11 people, including Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D) and Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried, were arrested in Tallahassee during a peaceful protest.
Many residents gave powerful testimony during it committee meeting about the billshare the story of abortion was illegal in the 1960s and problems with disabilities. Some of those who testified said they were able to leave the country because of the extreme restrictions.
“There is nothing my wife and I will not do … to protect our daughter. This bill threatens all daughters’ rights to bodily autonomy and subject them to the possibility of state torture in the form of forced pregnancy,” said Florida resident Jake Flaherty. witness during a Senate committee meeting last month. “If this bill is signed into law, my family will be out of Florida and I know we will never be alone.”