The bill banning abortion after 6 weeks was signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

A Florida Senator’s Second Amendment Proposal to End Abortion After Six Weeks of Pregnancies in the Presence of Sexual Abuse

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Republican-dominated Florida Legislature on Thursday approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a proposal signed into law later in the day by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run.

The silent part of the bill is that you just don’t want women to have choice.

DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law last year, which did not include exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking. Under the law, a pregnancy cannot be terminated after 15 weeks unless the mother is at serious risk or a fatal fetal abnormality is detected. Two doctors have to confirm a diagnosis.

The bill would also make sure that abortion pills are prescribed by a doctor and not by mail.

“A woman’s right to choose, I’ve heard people talk about that. Well, that right to choose begins before you have sex,” state Rep. Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican, said Thursday. It can’t be after you have sex.

The debate on the abortion bill began at 9 a.m. and lasted for more than seven hours as Democrats, who are firmly in the minority in Florida’s legislature, filed dozens of amendments intended to undermine the bill’s impact. Republicans flexed their power to pass the bill on a 70-40 vote after each amendment failed.

The Florida Democratic Party chairwoman and a senator were arrested at the state Capitol in Tallahassee following the passage of the bill by the Senate last week.

The Florida Supreme Court Revisited: Protecting Women Against Abortion in 2020 and the Importance of Protecting Life in the United States

Over time, the protections made Florida a sanctuary for women wanting abortions as neighboring states moved to restrict the procedure. In 2020, Florida saw 19.1 legal abortions per 1,000 women, the highest rate of any state in the country.

However, the makeup of the Florida Supreme Court has shifted considerably in recent years, and it is now heavily shaped by DeSantis’ conservative influence. He will name a fifth Justice to succeed Justice Ricky Polston, who resigned last month.

The state does not publish data on the number of pregnancies terminated during the first six weeks. The majority of abortions were in the first three weeks of the new year.

As he prepares to launch a presidential candidacy that will be built on his national brand as a Conservative standard bearer, the ban is a key political victory for the candidate, as it gives Republican primary voters a key political victory.

If the state Supreme Court upholds the current 15 weeks ban, then the ban will not take effect.

The policy would have wider implications for abortion access throughout the South in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade and leaving decisions about abortion access to states. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama don’t allow abortions at any point in the pregnancies, and Georgia doesn’t allow the procedure after six weeks.

“We have the opportunity to lead the national debate about the importance of protecting life and giving every child the opportunity to be born and find his or her purpose,” said Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, who carried the bill in the House.

Florida Governor Jay DeSantis Signs a Six-Week Abortion Ban Bill in a “Revisited” Campaign

The majority of abortions nationally can only be done with drugs in person or by a physician under Florida law. National access to the abortion pill is being challenged in court.

The bill had exceptions and a six-week time frame that made it sound like it was a compromise.

Abortion bans are popular among some religious conservatives who are part of the GOP voting base, but the issue has motivated many others to vote for Democrats. Republicans in recent weeks and months have suffered defeats in elections centered on abortion access in states such as Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin.

“Have we learned nothing?” Driskell talked about recent elections in other states. “Do we not listen to our constituents and to the people of Florida and what they are asking for?”

He had said that he supports the six-week ban but he also appeared timid on the bill. He has often said, “We welcome pro-life legislation,” when asked about the policy.

DeSantis is expected to announce his presidential candidacy after the session ends in May, with his potential White House run in part buoyed by the conservative policies approved by the Republican supermajority in the Statehouse this year.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/14/1169933395/florida-gov-desantis-signs-6-week-abortion-ban-bill

Is Florida a free state? A Democrat contends that the Affordable Care Act is not a Democrat’s responsibility for women’s health

Democrats, who have no power at any level of government, had turned to stall tactics and protests to oppose the bill, which passed both chambers on largely party-line votes. The Senate approved it last week, and the House did so Thursday.

Women’s health is being taken from them, said Democratic Rep. Simone Robinson. Is Florida a free state?