Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a measure banning abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy late Thursday night. A baby’s heartbeat might be detected for the first time at this time.
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis declared. The government’s recent passage of the Heartbeat Protection Act is fantastic news for young mothers and their families.
Under Senate Bill 300 (House Bill 7), the state’s gestational restriction for abortion is reduced from 15 weeks to 6. If the pregnancy is the result of a crime (such as rape or incest) or human trafficking (up to 15 weeks), if the mother’s life is in danger, or if the fetus has a severe defect before the third trimester, the law allows for an abortion.
In-person abortions are legal only if performed by a qualified medical doctor or osteopathic physician. Therefore, such distribution of abortion medications is illegal.
The measure includes $25 million to expand the services of crisis pregnancy centers in states where they receive funding. Pregnancy testing, counseling, and material aid (such as clothing, car seats, cribs, milk, and diapers) are all provided through these organizations.
An official DeSantis news release states, “This year’s Framework for Freedom Budget includes permanent sales tax exemptions for baby and toddler necessities like cribs and strollers, as well as tax holidays on children’s books, toys, sports equipment, and pet food.”
More than $96 million of it will be used to support foster families, caregivers, and youth in the foster care system. More than $143 million is set aside to improve healthcare for expectant mothers, new mothers, and their young children. The health of high-risk pregnant women will improve as a result of this.
From what we can see, he has “taken historic steps to protect the dignity of human life and make Florida a pro-family state,” as his office put it. Governor DeSantis has made Florida a pro-family state by taking historic actions while other states have permitted murdering infants up to birth, such as California and New York.
There will be no change to the restriction on abortions after six weeks until the Florida Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the 15-week law. The 15-week prohibition was enacted into law after the 2022 session of the state assembly and the signature of Governor DeSantis. Pro-choice organizations and abortion providers were quick to condemn the new legislation. Some provisions of SB 300 will take effect immediately. Pregnancy resource centers, a family planning initiative, and other parent-support initiatives are all beneficiaries of this money.
After seven hours of debate, the bill was approved by a vote of 70 to 40 in the Florida House. It became legislation immediately after being signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
State Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Fort Myers), a supporter of the measure, expressed her joy at its passage. This, she said, was a “historic moment.”
I appreciate your support of the Heartbeat Protection Act, Governor.Florida’s continued support for mothers and their children makes me very happy. Persons-On the morning of Friday, April 5, Mulicka tweeted.
Women from the South, where abortion is illegal, began traveling to Florida for the procedure after the Dobbs ruling. A law was passed prohibiting abortions beyond the sixth week of gestation. From 4,873 in 2021 and 3,988 in 2020, the number of out-of-state residents obtaining abortions in 2022 jumped to 6,708.
Abortions in this state have increased along with its population. The American Health Care Act (AHCA) estimates that there were 82,192 abortions performed in 2022, with 75,118 occurring during the first trimester and 7,074 occurring during the second. There were a total of 79,817 abortions in the year 2021. In the first trimester, there were 74,967 of them, and in the second, there were 4,850. There were 74,868 abortions in 2020. About 70,594 and 4,274 were performed in the first and second trimesters, respectively.
Florida will no longer have the fifth-highest number of abortions in the United States, according to Kristan Hawkins, director of Students for Life Action. I appreciate your having the intestinal fortitude to do the right thing, Governor DeSantis. You set a good example for your fellow Republicans, and I hope to see more people like you in the future.
After DeSantis signed a measure intended to save the lives of unborn children, Planned Parenthood in Florida expressed its displeasure. His detractors referred to him as a “coward.” It was also said in the abortion industry document that women in state government served “white men” and the “white patriarchy.”
Former abortionist turned pro-life advocate Dr. Kathi Aultman just sent out an email hailing the shift.
“Having performed hundreds of abortions, I can say with absolute certainty that a heart will stop beating at six weeks. Before any other system can begin functioning, the heart and lungs must begin pumping blood. The average heart rate of a person of this age is around 110 beats per minute.Aultman said that if a heartbeat is detected, the baby has a greater than 90% probability of survival until delivery.
I wish this had been available to me when I made the decision to have an abortion. Her child may still be alive and I wouldn’t have to live with guilt forever if I’d done it,” she claimed.
SBA Pro-Life America’s leader, Marjorie Dannenfelser, also reached out by electronic mail. The passage of this bill, she wrote to the president, is “an enormous victory in the fight for human rights.”
Now that Florida isn’t responsible for 10% of all abortions in the US, it will no longer have a stigma attached with it. As Dannenfelser put it, “more moms who need help financially and emotionally during pregnancy and after the baby is born will get the help they need.” Author emphasizes that “most importantly,” tens of thousands of “precious boys and girls will live and have the opportunity to follow their dreams, make other people’s lives better, and make Florida’s communities better places to live.”
As she spoke well of Governor DeSantis, she said, “Gov. DeSantis has always been a strong pro-life voice who has never backed down in the face of extreme opposition.” He has consistently advocated politely on behalf of Floridians. Because of Governor Jeb Bush’s leadership, Florida has become a model state, and that’s why he and his fellow Florida Republicans in the legislature and Attorney General Ashley Moody won so heavily in last year’s polls.