Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.Photo: AP Photo/Phil Sears
Florida Gov.Ron DeSantishas signed into law a ban against abortions after six weeks.
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis, 44,said in a news releasedistributed late Thursday night.
“I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families,” he added.
Under the new law, abortions would be allowed only in cases to save a pregnant person’s life.
Abortions from pregnancies resulting in rape or incest would be allowed until 15 weeks of gestation, but only if the woman has proof of a restraining order or police report, theAssociated Pressreports.
The legislation comes exactly one year after the Florida governorsigned a bill prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks. That law is currently being challenged before the Florida State Supreme Court. The new law would only go into effect if the previous 15-week law is upheld.
On Thursday, The White House issued its own rebuttal to the news that the bill had passed in Florida.
“This ban would prevent four million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierresaid in a statement issuedThursday.
The statement added, “This ban would also impact the nearly 15 million women of reproductive age who live in abortion-banning states throughout the South, many of whom have previously relied on travel to Florida as an option to access care.”
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The new law also has implications across the South, where neighboring states such as Georgia and Alabama already have strict bans.
Georgia similarly bans abortions after around six weeks — when a heartbeat can be detected — and Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, per the AP.
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DeSantis' signing seemingly sets the stage for his widely expected announcementthat he will run for presidentin 2024.
But the conservative leader’s legislative victory flies in the face of the opinions of most Floridians — and Americans — who support maintaining abortion access.
source: people.com
