by Ben Whedon
The Florida Senate passed a bill on Monday to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
The bill provides exceptions of up to 15 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape, incest, and human trafficking, Politico reported. Such a ban would still need to secure passage in the lower chamber before reaching the governor’s desk.
The upper chamber backed the ban 26-13, with two Republicans opposing its passage. Republicans hold a supermajority in the House, which is slated to take up the issue next week. Republican Gov. DeSantis has voiced support for the measure and it is likely to become law.
Protesters interrupted debate on the bill for 10 minutes, the outlet noted, prompting Senate President Kathleen Passidomo to order security to remove them.
Republican state Sens. Cory Simon, Tallahassee, and Alexis Calatayud, Miami, both voted against the measure. Simon offered no comment on the matter while Calatayud indicated that she supported parts of the plan, but would oppose it on behalf of her constituents.
She further expressed optimism that the bill “will go a long way to help change the hearts and minds influenced by a decade of anti-life culture.”
Abortion has become an increasingly high-profile issue in state legislatures since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned the constitutional right to abortion and empowered states to regulate the procedure.
Numerous states have enacted total or near-total bans on abortion in its aftermath.
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Ben Whedon is the night editor for the Just the News. He came to the company from Breitbart News and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University.
Background Photo “Florida Senate Floor” by flsenate.gov.
