After weeks of speeches and raucous protests, numerous votes in legislative committees and a full vote in the state House, Florida is at the endpoint for a decision on a 15-week abortion ban that doesn’t include rape, incest and human trafficking.
The Florida Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on HB 5, which was the original House version that was filed on the first day of the 2022 legislative session on Jan. 11.
At that time, the U.S. Supreme Court had already been focusing on the abortion front across the nation, with the 15-week Mississippi ban still under review.
On Wednesday, several women lawmakers in the Senate will be expected to push for changes in the abortion ban bill. In particular, Sen. Lauren Book, the Senate Minority Leader, filed an amendment Tuesday to allow women to have abortions if their pregnancies are the result of rape, incest or human trafficking.
Republican Kathleen Passidomo, the Senate Rules chair and next in the line to be the Senate President, said she previously had been supportive about adding in rape, incest and human trafficking in the bill, but later went along with her GOP colleagues on the vote.
Over the course of the session, abortion advocates, anti-abortion groups, patients, providers, doctors, Democratic lawmakers, Planned Parenthood and Floridians came to the Capitol to make their voices heard on this extraordinary and controversial legislation.
The Florida Senate is the last stop for this legislation. If the Senate votes yes, the bill will go to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration.
HB 5 and the Senate version, SB 146, would eliminate access to abortion after 15 weeks in the state of Florida and force thousands of Floridians to travel out-of-state for care.
For some Floridians, this may preclude access altogether, forcing them to remain pregnant.
In other states, Republican legislators are pushing the same agenda, to create new abortion bans or to make abortion illegal. More than half of the states are certain or likely to go forth with an abortion ban, according to a recent Democratic virtual press conference.
In addition to Mississippi, Texas has one of the most restrictive bans in the nation.
Prior to the state Senate’s session on Wednesday, abortion rights advocates will be at the rotunda on the Senate side in Tallahassee at 8:30 a.m. There will be several speakers, including Democratic lawmakers and abortion providers.
–Imani Thomas, Florida Phoenix
C.P. says
“For some Floridians, this may preclude access altogether, forcing them to remain pregnant.” For some women denied access to medical care this law will mean they die. I guess that is Okay.
Deborah Coffey says
Republicans will severely regret this. They scream “freedom” at every turn and then take freedom away…banning CRT (which has never been taught in schools anyway), Don’t Say Gay bill, cameras in classrooms, you can hit a protester (presumably a Black one) if he’s blocking a street, election police, and the governors own militia. Tough guys who love Ukrainians fighting with everything they’ve got for democracy while they (Republicans in America) are too wussy to even wear a mask to save lives.
Bottom line on abortion: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Bill C says
This law is based on the religious beliefs of Christianity, and as such is the establishment of a state religion banned under the First Amendment.
Sherry says
Right On Deborah! Couldn’t Agree More!
Republicans are pro-fetus NOT pro-life! To hell with a child AFTER it is born! They are against absolutely everything that supports children and struggling parents.
Republicans hypocritically use the saying “my body, my choice” when it comes to refusing to protecting us all from a “HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS” lethal virus by getting a shot and wearing a mask indoors. But, Republicans do everything they can to take away women’s rights to personal privacy and “CHOICE’ when it comes to their own bodies. A bunch of “Old Men” treating women like chattel and making very personal life decisions for young women!
Deborah Coffey says
Yes, and I know four life-long Republican women who are planning to vote a straight Democratic ticket in November. I can’t be the only one who knows Republicans like this. Payback may turn out to be hell for the GOP.
Sherry says
NO exceptions for “rape or incest”. . . MONSTROUS!
ALL those Republicans who are still reasonable . . . we call on you to vote against creeping fascism. . . Vote Democratic!!!!