Florida’s Republican governor told reporters Thursday that he wants to pass stronger laws against abortion, but he doesn’t know enough about a Texas ban that the U.S. Supreme Court allowed to take effect. He said he plans to research it.
GOP leaders in the Florida Legislature say they are already drafting anti-abortion laws for the next session, which begins in January. Leaders from the minority Democratic membership say they will fight any such bills.
A deeply-divided Supreme Court allowed the Texas abortion law to stay in place Thursday morning, stripping some rights to an abortion in the nation’s second-largest state.
The court voted 5-4 to deny an emergency appeal from abortion providers and others that sought to block enforcement of the law that went into effect Wednesday.
The Texas law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May, prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks and before most women know they’re pregnant.
Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson released the following statement to 10 Tampa Bay:
“The Texas law represents a new approach and the fact that the Supreme Court didn’t block it from taking effect is encouraging. Abortion kills children and forever changes the life of the mother, the father, and the entire extended family. As an adoptive child myself, it’s important to me that we do everything we can to promote adoption and prevent abortion; therefore, I think it’s worthwhile to take a look at the Texas law and see if there is more we can do here in Florida."
“I continue to believe that being pro-life is about more than opposing abortion. I have and will continue to champion funding for options like Hormonal Long Acting Reversible Contraception, which prevents unplanned pregnancies that lead to abortions. Child welfare reforms that support children, parents, and members of the extended family willing to take on child rearing responsibilities are also important to me. Providing approaches like HLARC give young people the opportunity to delay parenting without the trauma and carnage brought on by abortion, while investments in child welfare programs create an environment in our state where young parents can feel confident that there are options other than abortion and they will be supported in their decision to choose life for their babies.”