by Bethany Blankley
The Florida Senate on Monday passed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions from being performed in the state after six weeks gestation. In response, protestors including state Democratic leaders were arrested after sitting on and obstructing the street outside of City Hall near the state capitol.
Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said, “Now DeSantis is arresting his opponents,” tweeting a video posted by Planned Parenthood, which claimed the protestors were engaged in “peaceful protest.”
The video shows protestors sitting on the street and Tallahassee police officers instructing them to disperse. Police officers issued several warnings, saying, “you are subject to arrest” and those sitting on the street held up their hands to be arrested, shouting “shame.”
Now DeSantis is arresting is opponents https://t.co/LlRtJRsRII
— Randi Weingarten 🇺🇦🇺🇸💪🏿👩🎓 (@rweingarten) April 4, 2023
Those arrested included Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book and former Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. Fried ran for governor and lost to DeSantis’ Democratic challenger, former U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, in the Democratic primary. The Tallahassee Police Department falls under the jurisdiction of the Democratic mayor.
In response to Weingarten’s claim, DeSantis’ former campaign communications director Christina Pushaw, tweeted, “Learn something about FL please before commenting on our politics from NY. Tallahassee Police aren’t controlled by the governor. Like any other police officers in FL, they have to enforce laws. Or do you think Dem politicians should be above the law?”
Twitter also posted a note to Weingarten’s tweet, saying, “Readers added context they thought people might want to know. Tallahassee Police Department is an agency controlled by the City of Tallahassee. The city commission has a Democratic Party majority and the mayor is a member of the Democratic Party.”
SB 300, sponsored by state Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, “protects innocent, unborn life by prohibiting abortions after six weeks gestation, with exceptions for women who are victims of rape, incest and human trafficking, or whose baby has a devastating diagnosis of a fatal fetal abnormality.”
Grall said the bill would “make Florida a beacon of hope for those who understand that life is sacred and must be protected” and “represents an unprecedented opportunity to protect innocent life, and to stand with the brave moms who choose life for their babies.”
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said the bill “also includes strong and clear exceptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking, in addition to those already available for the life of the mother. We also clarify the existing exception for the horrible situation when parents are facing the heartbreaking diagnosis of a fatal fetal abnormality.”
The bill creates a new exception for victims of rape, incest, and human trafficking – allowing for abortion up to 15 weeks gestation. The bill also contains reporting requirements related to sexual assault “so criminals can be brought to justice.” The reporting requirements were designed to help prevent repeated sexual assault, abuse, and violence against rape, incest, and human trafficking survivors, according to the bill summary.
The bill also requires all abortions to be performed in-person by a medical doctor or osteopathic physician, including medication abortion, which must be dispensed in person by a physician. It prohibits delivery of such medication by mail or other courier service.
The bill also “promotes healthy families and supports parents who choose life for their babies” through a range of services, including providing additional counseling or mentoring services and nonmedical material assistance to families like car seats, cribs, clothing, formula and diapers.
It allocates $30 million in new funding for pregnant women and families.
In the Senate’s proposed state budget, SB 2500, which also passed the Senate on Monday, significant funding is allocated for Florida families. This includes $474.7 million for extended post-partum care coverage for women enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, family planning, MomCare, and Healthy Start. The bill also increases funding to expand the Telehealth Minority Maternity Care Pilot program to 10 counties with the highest number of women experiencing severe maternal morbidity.
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Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Tallahassee Police Department Arrest Dozens of Protestors at City Hall Outside of the Florida Capitol” by Florida Planned Parenthood Action.
