A Florida Republican filed a six-week abortion ban on Tuesday – confirming that the Sunshine State will very probably prohibit abortion care sooner than its present 15-week ban.
State Sen. Erin Grall (R) filed the invoice, which might ban abortions after six weeks with restricted exceptions, on the primary day of the state’s legislative session. The ban consists of exceptions for rape and incest, however solely up till 15 weeks of being pregnant.
Grall beforehand launched the state’s present 15-week abortion ban, which was enacted final 12 months.
With Florida’s Republican supermajority, it’s all however sure that the six-week abortion ban will move by the legislature and grow to be legislation. The success of this invoice can be essential for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who must pad his anti-choice document forward of a possible 2024 presidential run.
Democrats and pro-choice leaders have been bracing for Republicans to introduce extra excessive abortion restrictions within the Sunshine State for months. On condition that the Supreme Court docket repealed federal abortion protections final 12 months, many knew that Republicans would attempt to additional prohibit abortion additional; they simply didn’t understand how far anti-choice lawmakers would go.
Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R) talked about in November the opportunity of a 12-week ban with exceptions for rape and incest survivors. And in December, DeSantis hinted at help for a six-week abortion ban, however his feedback had been obscure at greatest.
Abortion opponents initially noticed Florida’s present 15-week abortion ban, which is being challenged in courtroom, as an enormous accomplishment. However since Roe v. Wade fell final summer time and over a dozen states have near-total abortion bans on the books, the 15-week ban is solely a reminder to DeSantis’ base that the governor has not gone far sufficient.
DeSantis will probably face a crowded far-right Republican main pool in 2024, which is able to embrace former President Donald Trump — and he’ll want a extra excessive ban on his monitor document to even compete.
State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) advised JHB in December {that a} 2024 poll initiative codifying abortion rights in Florida is “positively one thing that’s being actively explored.” Nonetheless, Eskamani, who labored at Deliberate Parenthood for six years earlier than becoming a member of the Florida Home, mentioned it could extraordinarily troublesome to succeed in the 60% threshold required to approve such a measure.