Florida Republican Legislators Fast-tracking Extreme Abortion Ban
The Senate Committee on Health Policy Votes on Near-Total Abortion Ban (SB 300) Today
Today, Florida legislators will take up a vote on a near-total abortion ban (Senate Bill 300), which would ban abortions after six weeks –when many women don’t even know they’re pregnant– and force victims of rape or incest to show “proof” before being able to seek an abortion.
This comes days after House Republicans voted to advance House Bill 7, which would restrict doctors from using telehealth services to provide abortions and would mandate that abortion-inducing drugs be provided in person by physicians.
“This is a direct assault on bodily autonomy,” said Florida Democratic Party Spokesperson Amber Gantt. “No matter how Republicans want to label it, this is essentially an outright abortion ban, and women, particularly women of color, and women in rural parts of the state, who often lack adequate access to reproductive medical care, will die because of it.”
Here’s how Florida Republicans are fast-tracking their extreme abortion ban:
- Florida Republicans want a “society where abortion is unthinkable,” and women are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies.
- If passed, nearly all abortions in Florida would be illegal after six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant.
- Women who become pregnant through rape or incest would be forced to show proof that they were a victim by providing a restraining order, police report, or medical record–requirements that are not only a breach of privacy– but often challenging to meet.
- The bills would bar the use of telehealth services for abortions, require that abortion-inducing drugs be provided in person by physicians, and would prevent state funds from being used to pay for women to travel to other states for abortions.
Source: Fl Dems, Photo: Planned Parenthood | Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images