Florida is joining the ranks of other states with Republican governors in enacting sweeping bans on abortions.
On Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed the bill, HB-5, which bans doctors from performing abortions more than 15 weeks into a pregnancy.
The governor signed the legislation at an event in a church with children standing next to him holding signs that read, “Choose life.”
“We are here today to protect life. We are here to defend those who can’t defend themselves,” he said, adding, “It’s a statement of our values that every life is important.”
Flanked by small children holding “Choose Life” posters, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signs into law a near-total ban on abortion after 15 weeks, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking. pic.twitter.com/ClV8kcMmCB
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The new law does not provide an exception for cases of rape, incest, or human trafficking.
DeSantis’ signing of the law comes after the Kentucky state legislature overrode the governor’s veto of a bill that bans most abortions after 15 weeks.
That legislation also limits access to abortion medication and changed the law around minors receiving an abortion.
As CNN notes, “The bill now makes it a requirement for a consenting parent or legal guardian to make a ‘reasonable attempt to notify’ any other parent with joint or physical custody at least 48 hours before providing consent.
And on Tuesday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state.
The legislation states, “A person convicted of performing or attempting to perform an abortion shall be guilty of a felony punishable by a fine not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), or by confinement in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed ten (10) years, or by such fine and imprisonment.”
“I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every pro-life bill that hit my desk, and that’s what we’re doing here today,” Stitt said.
He added, “We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country.”
The Oklahoma and Kentucky laws also do not provide exceptions for rape or incest.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reacted to the Oklahoma law in a statement as she said, “Today, the country’s most restrictive legislation regulating access to reproductive health care was signed into law in Oklahoma.”
“This unconstitutional attack on women’s rights is just the latest and one of the most extreme state laws signed into law to date,” she continued.
Psaki added, “Make no mistake: the actions today in Oklahoma are a part of disturbing national trend attacking women’s rights and the Biden Administration will continue to stand with women in Oklahoma and across the country in the fight to defend their freedom to make their own choices about their futures.”