By: Trimmel Gomes
March 8, 2023
On the opening day of Florida's legislative
session, Republican lawmakers filed bills in the House and Senate to ban abortions after six weeks.
In a move which would tighten the 15-week ban they approved last year,
Republicans are pushing an even tougher ban, despite knowing most people aren't
aware they're pregnant before six weeks.
Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, the Senate Minority Leader, said the bills were
introduced as she and others were making their way to the chamber to hear the
State of the State address by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"That is tantamount to an all-out abortion ban," Book stressed. "This
is scary. These are scary times, and none of the bills that have been
introduced by the Republicans will improve the lives of Floridians."
The legislation offers exemptions for victims of rape and incest, if they can
provide official proof of the crime. Pro-choice advocates predict the measures
will be a major barrier to critical services for Floridians, and others in the
Southeast who seek care in Florida because their states have banned abortion.
The bills carry the support of legislative leadership as well as the governor.
Groups like Florida Alliance for Planned Parenthood have already launched
campaigns calling on alliance members and the public to contact Sen. Kathleen
Pasidomo, R-Naples, the Senate president, who has already announced her support
for the bill.
Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, the House Minority Leader, voiced concerns.
"They plan to strip privacy protections enshrined in the Florida
Constitution," Driskell pointed out. "They will restrict access to
medical abortion medicine, yet you can get Viagra mailed to you. What world are
we living in? It's a world that's unfair to women."
The bills are spearheaded by Republican women, Sen. Erin Grall, R-Lake Placid,
and Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers. The proposals also include an
exception for the life of a pregnant person if two physicians certify in
writing that carrying the pregnancy to term would be fatal.
Content for this Post is provided by Florida News
Connection, a Bureau of Public News Service.
Public News Service is a member of the The Trust Project.
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