The Republican controlled Senate in Florida passed legislation late Thursday evening banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The Senate voted 23-15 to send the legislation to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk who has already signaled he plans to sign it into law, according to the Associated Press.
The legislation allows for an abortion in cases where it is necessary to save the mother’s life prevent serious injury to the mother or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. There are no exceptions in the case of rape, incest or human trafficking.
The measure shortens the time period during which a woman can receive an abortion in Florida, which was previously up to 24 weeks into pregnancy.
“I want abortion to be legal safe and accessible but I fear this bill moves us in the other direction, forcing women with means to travel out of state and those struggling economically to resort to potentially dangerous options,” Sen. Lori Berman (D) said.
Sen. Lauren Book, a Democrat who was sexually abused by her nanny revealed she was also drugged and raped by multiple men when she was a teenager. She implored the Republican-controlled legislature to allow for an abortion in cases of rape, incest or human trafficking.
“It’s not OK to force someone who’s been sexually assaulted and impregnated to carry that pregnancy to term if they don’t want to, it’s just not,” Book said. “And if a woman or a girl needs more than 15 weeks to decide, we should be able to give that to her.”
However, GOP lawmakers say 15 weeks is more than enough time for a woman who has been raped to decide what to do about her pregnancy.
The measure comes as Republicans across the country move to restrict access to an abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled it would uphold a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi and potentially overturn Roe v. Wade.
Republicans in Arizona and Mississippi have introduced similar 15-weeks abortion ban.
