A six-week abortion ban received final approval from Florida’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Thursday, paving the way for its severe restriction in the state and throughout the US South.
By a vote of 70 to 40, Florida House legislators supported the prohibition on abortions performed beyond six weeks of pregnancy. On April 3, the measure was approved by the state Senate with a vote of 26-13.
The bill, which offers exceptions for abortions in circumstances of rape, incest, and when the mother’s life or health are in grave danger, is anticipated to be signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
The state’s current 15-week prohibition was enacted by the Republican governor last year, and he has stated his support for more restrictions.
Supporting more stringent regulations would be politically risky for DeSantis, who plans to run for president in 2024 under the Republican banner.
Since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last year, abortion has become a powerful political issue in the US. According to polls, support for abortion rights helped Democrats defeat Republicans in the midterm elections last November.
A nationwide ban on abortion after six weeks is opposed by nearly 50% of Americans, including 44% of Republicans, according to a poll released on Wednesday. According to the same survey, 43% of Republicans indicated they were less likely to support a candidate for office who favours restricting access to abortion.
In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the ban “flies in the face of fundamental freedoms and is out of step with the views of the vast majority of people in Florida and of all of the United States.”
On Thursday, the discussion about the Florida law lasted for many hours. Republicans who supported the legislation argued that it protected women’s health by establishing allowances for risky pregnancies and emphasised that medical professionals shouldn’t be reluctant to provide life-saving abortions as the law permits.
Republican Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka, a proponent of the bill, stated that “we have the opportunity to lead the national debate about the importance of protecting life and giving every child the opportunity to be born.”
Democrats said that the plan would hurt women and that Republicans were putting their political ambitions and religious convictions above their citizens’ health.
Democratic Representative Michele Rayner-Goolsby claimed, “We are supporting a political agenda on the backs of women and people giving birth.”
The outcome of a legal challenge to the state’s 15-week abortion ban, which abortion providers claim violates the state’s constitutional right to privacy, will determine the ban’s future.
The six-week ban would start after 30 days if the Florida Supreme Court finds that the 15-week ban is constitutional.
Since the US Supreme Court shredded federal abortion rights, patients from the US Southeast have started going to Florida to end their pregnancies. The majority of the other states in the region have already outlawed the practise during the first trimester.
The restriction, according to Alexandra Mandado, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida, “will turn Florida from one of the last access points for abortion in the Southeast to one that severely limits care.”
