Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy on Thursday, a measure backed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis as he readies for a possible 2024 presidential run.
The abortion ban bill is anticipated to be signed into law by DeSantis. Abortions after 15 weeks are illegal in Florida right now.
The bill has some loopholes, one of which allows for the woman’s life to be saved.
If a woman can show evidence, like a restraining order or police report, she will be able to get an abortion up until the 15th week of her pregnancy if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
DeSantis would gain significant clout among Republican primary voters with a ban lasting six weeks as he readies to launch a presidential campaign based on his reputation as a national conservative leader.
In light of the Supreme Court’s decision last year to overturn Roe v. Wade and leave decisions about abortion access to states, the policy would also have broader implications for abortion access throughout the South. Elections in states like Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin that focused on abortion access have resulted in losses for Republicans in recent weeks and months.
Many pregnant women do not know they are pregnant at six weeks, so opponents of the abortion ban bill in Florida say it would effectively ban all abortions.
If a current legal challenge to Florida’s 15-week ban is upheld by the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives, then the new six-week ban would go into effect.
Some religious conservatives in the Republican base support abortion restrictions, but the issue has swayed many others to vote for the Democrats.
Even though he has said he supports the six-week restriction, DeSantis has seemed uncharacteristically ambivalent about the bill.
When questioned about the policy, he has repeatedly said, “We welcome pro-life legislation.”
After the session ends in May, DeSantis is expected to announce his candidacy for president, which would be buoyed in part by the conservative policies passed by the Republican supermajority in the Statehouse this year.
