DeSantis Signs Florida’s 6-Week Abortion Ban

Topline

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) Thursday signed legislation that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, hours after it cleared the state’s GOP-controlled legislature, paving the way for Florida to become the 15th state to either ban or heavily restrict the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is expected to sign the Heartbeat Protection Bill into law.

Getty Images

Key Facts

A statement from DeSantis’ office said the signing of the bill is part of the Governor’s efforts to “transform Florida into a pro-family state,” as it took a jab against New York and California for not restricting access to abortions.

Earlier on Thursday, Florida’s state House of Representatives voted 70 to 40 to approve the bill, which had already received state Senate approval.

The bill tightens an existing state law that permits abortions up to 15 weeks into a woman’s pregnancy, though abortion rights groups warn a six-week limitation would ban the procedure before many women know they’re pregnant.

The so-called Heartbeat Protection Act allows exceptions for rape, incest, cases of medical emergencies to the mother and “fatal Fetal abnormalities.”

The Florida Supreme Court has previously found a right to abortion in the state constitution, so the bill is set to go into effect 30 days after the court issues a ruling that either scraps abortion rights or upholds the 15-week abortion ban, which is currently in effect but is facing legal challenges (the state’s highest court is primarily made up of DeSantis nominees).

If it goes into effect, Florida would become the second state, after Georgia, to approve a ban on abortions after six weeks.

Outright bans on the procedure are in effect in 13 other states (Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin), while some other state-level bans are held up in court, and Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and Utah have bans later on in a woman’s pregnancy.

News Peg

The vote in Florida comes a week after a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone—a pill used commonly in abortions that received FDA approval in 2000. On Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court for emergency relief after a Texas appeals court on Wednesday partially blocked the controversial Texas ruling but allowed other provisions to stand, including a limitation on its usage to the first seven weeks of pregnancy.

Crucial Quote

In a statement issued by his office, DeSantis said: “We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida. I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”

Chief Critic

State officials cleared the viewing gallery of Florida’s State House during deliberations Thursday, after pro-abortion protesters interrupted proceedings by throwing papers at lawmakers. Protests had also erupted after the state’s senate passed the legislation earlier this month, leading to the arrest of Florida’s Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D) and state Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried, who were arrested in a protest after the state Senate approved the bill.

Surprising Fact

Legal abortions in the U.S. decreased by 6% in the six months after the Supreme Court’s momentous ruling last June to overturn Roe v. Wade and leave abortion rights up to individual states, according to a report by the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion rights. Florida, however, saw the biggest increase in legal abortions in that time, with 1,200 more legal abortions per month, compared to data from the two months before the Dobbs decision.