Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs 6-week abortion ban into law

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced that he signed a bill barring women from getting abortions past six weeks of pregnancy hours after it passed through the state House of Representatives, WFTV reported.

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The governor announced that he signed SB 300, dubbed the Heartbeat Protection Act, in a statement released late Thursday. The bill prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy or once a heartbeat is detected, with some exceptions, according to WFTV.

“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. He added that the bill “expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”

The bill allows for abortions needed to save a mother’s life and allows a 15-week window for people seeking to abort pregnancies caused by rape or incest, with proper documentation, WFTV reported.

The legislation drew backlash from Democrats, many of whom called it extreme and framed the bill as interfering in a woman’s right to make medical decisions based on advice from her doctor.

“As someone who was faced with the decision to end a much-wanted pregnancy because of an abnormal fetus, I can tell you it is a deeply personal and painful decision,” Democratic state Rep. Robin Bartleman said in a statement. “Florida politicians did not belong in that exam room with me. The majority of Floridians do not support this and (it’s) incomprehensible that my daughters will grow up with less rights than me.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the bill “an extreme and dangerous new abortion ban” in a statement Thursday.

“This ban would prevent four million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant,” she said. “This ban would also impact the nearly 15 million women of reproductive age who live in abortion-banning states throughout the South, many of whom have previously relied on travel to Florida as an option to access care.”

Republicans praised the legislation, which comes after the Supreme Court last year overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that protected abortion nationwide for decades.

“These are the broadest protections of life in the history of the state and I’m proud of our members for affirming life, for affirming mothers, and for ensuring Florida’s future,” Republican state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka said in a statement.

The bill will not immediately go into effect as the Florida Supreme Court continues to consider the constitutionality of a 15-week abortion ban passed earlier, according to WFTV. If it’s allowed to stand, the new 6-week ban will take effect, the news station reported.