Health Medicine Network
According to a statement from the governor’s office late Thursday night, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that would outlaw the majority of abortions in the state after six weeks.
The six-week restriction would not take effect until the state Supreme Court overturned its earlier abortion ruling.
In the announcement, DeSantis stated, “We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida.”
The legislation, which follows efforts by other Republican-led states to swiftly curtail the practice since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, would make Florida one of the nation’s most restrictive places for obtaining an abortion. Prior to being sent to DeSantis for his approval, the proposal cleared the Florida House on Thursday and the state Senate on April 3.
Pregnant women are sending their final wishes on TikTok 01:26 fifty years after Roe CNN, as a source
Most abortions in Florida would be prohibited after six weeks under the new law. Six weeks is the average time for women to discover they are pregnant, according to the law’s opponents.
Tampa Democrat and House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell remarked, “Let’s be clear about the silent part: You just don’t want women to have choice,” during a discussion of the proposal on Thursday.
According to the law, women who have been the victims of rape, incest, or human trafficking may receive an abortion up to 15 weeks into their pregnancy if they present a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other supporting documentation.
The law would also forbid doctors from prescribing an abortion through telemedicine and mandate that prescriptions for the procedure must be given in person by a doctor rather than by mail.
The bill’s proponents claimed that they were safeguarding life.
“I’ve heard people discuss a woman’s right to make her own decisions. Well, that right to choose starts before you have sex, said Republican state representative Kiyan Michael of Jacksonville on Thursday. It shouldn’t happen right after having intercourse.