Fla. Gov. DeSantis Signs 6-Week Abortion Ban

Facts

• On Thursday, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.¹
• The signature followed closely behind the state Senate's approval in a 26-13 vote. The state House had passed it 70-40 earlier this month.²
• The Heartbeat Protection Act contains exceptions, including in the cases of rape or incest for up to 15 weeks if documentation is provided, and to protect the life of the mother.³
• Florida — joining 14 other states that have either completely barred the procedure or implemented a six-week ban — is facing a challenge in its conservative-majority state Supreme Court over its current 15-week abortion limit. The new ban will only take effect if the current law is upheld.⁴
• Prior to this new law, Florida’s abortion laws had been more permissive compared to other southern states, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, which have required abortion clinics to close.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Reuters, ³Politico, ⁴Forbes and ⁵Axios.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Washington Post. DeSantis continues to describe Florida as a 'citadel of freedom,” but in reality, he’s waging war on freedom of the press, free enterprise, academic freedom, and reproductive freedom. DeSantis is considering running for president, but if his continued restrictive policies are anything to go by, he will struggle considerably to gain the support of a majority of Americans.
• Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. DeSantis has fulfilled his promise to defend life in Florida, while this bill also allocates an extra $25M in funds for pregnancy centers around the state. Together with pro-life lawmakers and advocates, DeSantis has expanded the protection of unborn children and provided help to mothers across the state, proving that DeSantis gets things done.

Predictions