DeSantis indicators 6-week abortion ban laws in Florida into legislation

(CNN) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that might ban most abortions within the state after six weeks, based on a launch from the governor’s workplace late Thursday evening.

The six-week ban wouldn’t go into impact, nevertheless, till the state Supreme Courtroom overturns its earlier precedent on abortion.

“We’re proud to help life and household within the state of Florida,” DeSantis stated within the launch.

The legislation would make Florida some of the restrictive states within the nation to acquire an abortion and follows strikes by different Republican-led states to swiftly to curb the process because the US Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade final summer time. The measure handed the state Senate on April 3 and the Florida Home on Thursday earlier than heading to DeSantis’ desk for his signature.

Underneath the legislation, most abortions in Florida could be banned after six weeks. Opponents of the laws have argued that six weeks is earlier than many ladies know that they’re pregnant.

“Let’s be clear concerning the silent half: You simply don’t need girls to have selection,” Home Minority Chief Fentrice Driskell, a Tampa Democrat, stated Thursday throughout debate on the invoice.

Victims of rape, incest and human trafficking might receive an abortion as much as 15 weeks right into a being pregnant, beneath the laws, if the lady supplies a restraining order, police report, medical document or different proof.

The invoice would additionally ban docs from prescribing an abortion through telehealth and require medicine for abortion be disbursed by a doctor, not by mail.

Supporters of the invoice stated they have been defending life.

“A lady’s proper to decide on, I’ve heard individuals speak about that. Effectively, that proper to decide on begins earlier than you have got intercourse,” state Rep. Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican, stated Thursday. “It shouldn’t be after you have got intercourse. “

Debate on Thursday started shortly after 9 a.m. and lasted for greater than seven hours as Democrats, who’re firmly within the minority in Florida’s legislature, filed dozens of amendments meant to blunt the invoice’s influence and to protest the doubtless finish of tens of hundreds of authorized abortions within the state annually. Every modification failed, and Republicans flexed their supermajority to cross the invoice on a 70-40 vote.

Following the invoice’s passage by the state Senate final week, demonstrations broke out on the state Capitol in Tallahassee, resulting in the arrest of Florida Democratic Social gathering Chairwoman Nikki Fried and Senate Minority Chief Lauren Ebook.

Thursday’s vote comes because the nationwide debate on abortion has as soon as once more intensified after a Texas decide ordered the suspension of the Meals and Drug Administration’s approval of a medicine abortion drug. A federal appeals courtroom has frozen components of the order, and the Division of Justice is asking the US Supreme Courtroom to intervene within the dispute. The Florida vote additionally follows a decisive victory by a liberal candidate in a Wisconsin Supreme Courtroom race earlier this month wherein the way forward for abortion entry took heart stage and mobilized Democratic turnout.

Although DeSantis has signaled his help for additional restrictions on abortion in Florida, the sometimes outspoken governor has remained uncharacteristically reserved about the place he thinks lawmakers ought to draw the road. Requested at a March information convention if he supported exemptions for rape and incest till 15 weeks, DeSantis referred to as it “wise” and stated he would “welcome pro-life laws,” however shortly pivoted to a different matter.

As a candidate for governor in 2018, DeSantis indicated he would help laws that prohibits abortion after a heartbeat is detected.

DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into legislation final 12 months, which didn’t embody exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking. Underneath the legislation, a being pregnant can’t be terminated after 15 weeks until the mom is at critical threat or a deadly fetal abnormality is detected. Two physicians should affirm the prognosis in writing.

Deliberate Parenthood and different abortion rights teams sued to overturn the legislation. The case is presently earlier than the Florida Supreme Courtroom, which declined to dam the legislation within the meantime.

For many years, courts in Florida have blocked legislative makes an attempt to limit abortion within the state. The state Supreme Courtroom in 1989 decided {that a} privateness clause within the state structure “is clearly implicated in a girl’s choice of whether or not or to not proceed her being pregnant.”

These protections for years made Florida a sanctuary for ladies in search of abortions all through the South as neighboring states over time moved to limit the process. In 2020, Florida noticed 19.1 authorized abortions per 1,000 girls, the very best price of any state within the nation.

Nonetheless, the make-up of the Florida Supreme Courtroom has shifted significantly in recent times, and it’s now closely formed by DeSantis’ conservative affect. He appointed 4 of the six sitting justices and can identify a fifth to succeed Justice Ricky Polston, who resigned final month.

The state doesn’t publish knowledge on the variety of pregnancies terminated throughout the first six weeks. There have been greater than 82,000 abortions in Florida in 2022, based on the Florida Company for Well being Care Administration, and the overwhelming majority befell throughout the first trimester.

This story has been up to date with further reporting.

CNN’s Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.