Florida passes 6-week abortion ban; DeSantis expected to sign

A new abortion ban passed the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature Thursday, outlawing abortions performed after six weeks of pregnancy.

GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis supported the bill and is expected to sign it into law as he prepares for an expected 2024 presidential run.

Currently, the law in Florida bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This change would create wider implications for abortion access across the South.

It would also give DeSantis a key political victory among Republican primary voters, as he continues to build his brand as a conservative leader.

The new legislation comes as abortion arguments swell in southern states, just a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and left decisions regarding abortion access up to state legislatures.

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So far, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have banned abortions at all stages of pregnancy, while Georgia restricts the procedure after the detection of cardiac activity, which occurs around 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,” stated GOP Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, who carried this latest bill in the House.

But Democrats and abortion-rights groups have reacted in strong opposition to the bill.

“This ban would prevent 4 million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement following Thursday’s vote.

There are some exceptions in the bill, including an allowance to save the woman’s life.

Abortions in cases that involve rape or incest would also be allowed until 15 weeks of the pregnancy, as long as the woman can provide documentation such as a restraining order or police report.

With News Wire Services