TAMPA, Florida — Polarizing reaction erupted from all sides after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he signed the "Heartbeat Protection Act."
It would ban most abortions after six weeks except in the case of medical emergency. There's also a provision for rape, incest, or human trafficking up to 15 weeks, but only with documentation like a police report or medical record.
The bill signed into law is prompting strong reaction from all sides in support and against it.
"My heart is hurting. We are so devastated," Shannon Keever of Women's Voices of Southwest Florida.
Keever, of Manatee County, joined others in Tallahassee to rally against the 6-week ban. The mother of three said she fears for the future, including for her two daughters.
Some physicians said they question whether they’ll stay in the Tampa Bay area, especially if performing the procedure means risking their license, career and maybe even their freedom.
But Scott Mahurin, also of Manatee County, believes the state is headed in the right direction. However, he and other lawmakers believe a total abortion ban meets their goals.
"Life is protected and that's a huge victory for life in Florida," Mahurin said. "We want to have all life protected from the moment of conception onward."
Mahurin serves as the director and founder of Florida Preborn Rescue in the Tampa Bay area.
While Mahurin said his organization feels empathy for pregnancies resulting in crimes like rape, incest, or human trafficking, he said a preborn baby shouldn't be aborted.
"The baby's an innocent product of a very horrible situation," Mahurin said.
He added his organization has activists who were also conceived in rape or have become pregnant from crimes themselves, but feel "everyone's life has dignity and meaning."
On the other side, abortion-rights activists argue it's up to an individual's choice, regardless of the situation. Protests went on in Tallahassee leading up to approval of the bill.
In addition, abortion rights activists argue six weeks isn't enough for a woman to know of her pregnancy status. In addition, the required documentation in criminal cases like rape may hinder a woman from coming forward with an abortion.
Keever said she fears the new restrictions may lead to more unsafe methods of abortions and feels the Legislature should focus on other topics instead like affordable housing or paid parental leave.
"We're not going to go back to people dying from back alley abortions. It's not going to happen," Keever said.
Some local abortion rights organizations like the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund expect to be busier after the bill's approval. The group aims to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access, including by helping those seeking out-of-state travel for abortions past Florida's legal limit.
Mahurin vows to keep fighting for a total ban, while those from the opposing side, like Keever, vow to restore abortion rights.
"We are not going to back down until they change this," Keever said.
It's still unclear when the 6-week ban could take affect. The Florida Supreme Court must still decide on the prior 15-week ban, which DeSantis signed into law last year, but abortion rights groups and Planned Parenthood sued to overturn it.
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in a statement. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”