FLORIDA: A bill outlawing most abortions after six weeks was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday, hours after the White House dubbed the measure “dangerous and extreme.”
“We are proud to support family and life in Florida,” DeSantis said. According to the proposed legislation, women are not permitted to have an abortion in Florida beyond six weeks of pregnancy unless the mother’s health is in jeopardy, the pregnancy is the consequence of rape or incest and lasts no longer than 15 weeks, or the foetus is not viable.
The move was condemned by the White House, which claimed it “flies in the face of basic freedoms” and “is out of step with the views of the vast majority” of Americans.
On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that “this ban will prevent four million women of reproductive age in Florida from getting post-abortion care for six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant.” The wording was approved hours earlier by the legislature of Florida, which is governed by Republicans, 70 to 40. Florida had shortened the period during which abortions were lawful twice in one year.
DeSantis signed a law in April 2022 that decreased the sentence from 24 to 15 weeks without making an exception for rape or incest. The revised bill’s wording won’t take effect until the Florida Supreme Court resolves on an appeal brought by several associations that are against the 15-week limit and contend that the statute infringes on their right to privacy. As he explores a bid for his party’s presidential nomination in 2024, DeSantis, a rising star among the American right wing, is sullying his conservative reputation with the bill.
‘A risk for women’ –
The new abortion cut-off date’s proponents argue that it is essential to safeguard the lives of defenceless youngsters. The Democratic opposition and pro-abortion campaigners say that the state shouldn’t meddle in people’s personal affairs and express concern about the harmful effects of the cap for many women.
“This bill legally bans abortion, but it will not ban it in reality,” Democratic Congresswoman Lindsay Cross remarked during the Lower House discussion.
“Abortions will be carried out in secret, without medical oversight, and with increased risk to women’s physical, mental, and reproductive health.” According to a survey done by the non-profit Public Religion Research Institute, 64% of Floridians think abortion should not be banned in most or all situations.
Despite the 15-week restriction, Florida continues to be one of the more tolerant states in the southeast of the United States for abortion, which has caused many expecting mothers to come there recently to end their pregnancies.
Following a court ruling that restricted access to the medication mifepristone, which is used to end pregnancies, in the United States, the measure enacted on Thursday may put a stop to that and mark a new success for anti-abortion advocates.
