The Florida Senate on Monday approved a bill to ban abortions after six weeks, a move backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Republican prepares to launch his long-awaited presidential bid.
The vote sparked protests in the state capitol that resulted in the Florida Democratic Party leader and a state senator being arrested by city police. The bill still has to pass the House before it reaches the governor’s desk. Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks.
A six-week ban would align Florida with abortion restrictions in other Republican-controlled states and give DeSantis a political victory on an issue important to Republican primary voters ahead of his potential White House bid.
Florida Democrats and abortion rights groups say the proposal disproportionately affects low-income women and people of color.
The party said Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, and Lauren Book, Florida Senate Minority Leader, were arrested Monday night during a sit-in outside the Florida State Capitol.
Footage shared on social media showed the two women and other protesters being handcuffed by police officers.
In a press release, the Tallahassee Police Department said protesters against the abortion ban were told they would have to leave after sunset, but 11 people refused to leave and were arrested. for trespassing. They did not identify them by name.
The bill would have broader implications for abortion access in the South, as neighboring states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi ban the procedure at all stages of pregnancy and Georgia l ‘prohibited after detection of heart activity, about six weeks.
“Bodily autonomy should not give a person permission to kill an innocent human being. Vivimos in a time when the consecuencias de nuestras acciones son una ocurrencia tardía y la conveniencia ha stituido la responsabilidad, y esto es inacceptable cuando se trata de la protection de los más vulnerable”, dijo la senadora Erin Grall, republicana que patrocinó el law Project.
The proposal allows for exceptions to save the woman’s life and exceptions for pregnancy caused by rape or incest up to 15 weeks gestation. In these cases, a woman would need to provide documents such as a medical history, a restraining order, or a police report. DeSantis called the rape and incest provisions reasonable.
It would also require that drugs used in medically induced abortions, which make up the majority of those supplied nationwide, can only be dispensed in person by a doctor.
The new bill will only go into effect if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge in the state Supreme Court.
Republicans control a large majority in the Legislature and have largely focused on DeSantis’ priorities during the current legislative session.
DeSantis is expected to announce his candidacy for president after the session adjourns in May, with his potential White House bid spurred in part by conservative policies passed at the State House this year.
On the other hand, Democrats admitted they couldn’t stop the proposal from moving forward.
On the other hand, Democrats admitted they couldn’t stop the proposal from moving forward.
“Please don’t take matters into your own hands. Don’t put your safety at risk. No clandestine abortions. There are people and funds that will help you. No matter where you live, no matter how desperate the situation you are in, no matter how helpless it may seem. I promise you you are not alone. Call my office,” Book said.