Florida bill to ban abortion after six weeks moving through state legislature

The Florida state senate on Monday approved a bill to ban abortions after six weeks, a measure supported by Governor Ron DeSantis as the Republican prepares to launch his expected presidential candidacy.

A six-week ban would more closely align Florida with the abortion restrictions of other Republican-controlled states and give DeSantis a political win on an issue important with GOP primary voters ahead of his potential White House run.

The bill would have larger implications for abortion access throughout the south, as the nearby states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi prohibit the procedure at all stages of pregnancy and Georgia bans it after fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which is around six weeks.

The proposal allows exceptions to save the life of the woman and exceptions in the case of pregnancy caused by rape or incest until 15 weeks of pregnancy. In those cases, a woman would have to provide documentation such as a medical record, restraining order or police report. DeSantis has called the rape and incest provisions sensible.

Democrats have conceded that they cannot stop the proposal from moving forward.

During debate on Monday, Democratic sate senator Lauren Book urged women to contact her office directly, reading her phone number aloud on the senate floor, if they are considering getting an abortion and need to connect with healthcare providers.