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Tallahassee, Fla. (AP) — A proposal to ban abortion at six weeks in Florida received overwhelming approval from a state House committee on Thursday, what Democrats can do to stop it from finally becoming law. admitted nothing.
The proposal is moving forward, but the ban on abortion at 15 weeks — a law signed last year by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — still faces legal challenges.The new proposal will only take effect if current legislation is upheld and makes it a crime to provide an abortion after six weeks of gestation..
“This is a bill that recognizes the importance and value of innocent, unborn human life,” Republican Rep. Jenna Parsons Mallika said of her proposal. “The bill presented to you is not only a reflection of my personal beliefs, but the result of listening in an attempt to build consensus on policies that support life.”
The move could give DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president, additional bait to attract conservative voters. The governor has indicated that he supports the proposed ban.
There are exceptions for saving a woman’s life and for pregnancy due to rape or incest up to the 15th week of pregnancy. In that case, the woman must provide documents such as medical records, restraining orders, and police reports.
Opponents said that by the time a woman knew she was pregnant, it was too late to have an abortion or too little time to arrange an abortion, especially for rape and incest victims. Attempting an abortion would be even more difficult for women in rural areas with limited health care, he said.
“This bill is too restrictive. The amount of paperwork a woman has to go through to prove she was raped is traumatic,” said Democratic Rep. Robin Bartleman. He added that most rapes go unreported.
But she also recognized that Republicans get what they want.
“You’ll get the votes, you’ll get a supermajority, and you’re basically going to have a total abortion ban in Florida,” she said. “I can do math.”
The House bill will have one more committee stop before it is heard across the floor. A similar Senate bill has been assigned to two of his committees and is due to be heard for the first time next week. House and Senate leaders have expressed support for the bill.
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