Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is taking action to dramatically limit abortion in his state.
On Thursday night DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law.
It bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
The Associated Press noted, “The six-week ban will take effect only if the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives.”
In a statement after the bill signing, DeSantis said, “We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida.”
“I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families,” he added.
After returning to Florida from a speech in Ohio, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed the state's new six-week abortion ban into law last night. pic.twitter.com/sGet03vPFy
— The Recount (@therecount) April 14, 2023
Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, who supported the bill in the legislature, said, “We have the opportunity to lead the national debate about the importance of protecting life and giving every child the opportunity to be born and find his or her purpose.”
In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blasted the law as she said, “Today, Florida’s Republican supermajority-controlled legislature sent an extreme and dangerous new abortion ban to Governor DeSantis’s desk for signature. The ban flies in the face of fundamental freedoms and is out of step with the views of the vast majority of the people of Florida and of all the United States.”
“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. 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,” she continued.
She went on:
“At every opportunity following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, from the Kansas ballot initiative in August, to five abortion ballot initiatives in November, to last week’s elections in Wisconsin, the message has been clear: Americans demand the freedom to make their own decisions about their own bodies without government interference.”
Jean-Pierre added, “Despite this, Republican elected officials continue their work to dismantle our fundamental freedoms, including through attempts to ban abortion nationwide. President Biden and his Administration stand with women and physicians—and we will continue to fight to protect access to abortion and defend reproductive rights.”
Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Passage of Florida’s Abortion Banhttps://t.co/uESbaZJ3tW
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) April 13, 2023
The move comes as Republicans are digesting Janet Protasiewicz’s landslide win in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
Her win appears to signal abortion is a significant issue that could turn out to be a major hurdle for Republicans in future elections.