Governor Ron DeSantis is poised to sign a law banning abortion beyond 15 weeks of pregnancy, as Florida joins a trend of Republican-ruled states anticipating a Supreme Court ruling that would severely limit abortion rights in the whole country.
Republican DeSantis has indicated his support for the bill passed by the legislature Thursday night following an emotional debate that included painful personal stories. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
President Joe Biden responded with a tweet on Friday: “Last night, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature passed a dangerous bill that will severely limit women’s access to their right to reproductive health care. My government will not allow the erosion of women’s constitutional rights.”
Republicans across the country are seeking to repeat a Mississippi law banning abortions following 15 weeks that the Supreme Court appears set to uphold in coming months in a resolution that would weaken or overturn Roe v. Wade, the ruling that legalized abortion across the country. In that case, Florida would no longer be the state that southern women flock to from jurisdictions where more restrictive laws have been passed.
Florida currently allows abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, with no later exceptions for victims of rape or incest, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
The Florida bill contains exceptions for cases where the abortion is necessary to save the life or prevent serious injury to the mother or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality confirmed by two doctors. It would go into effect on July 1, 2022.
