TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill filed Tuesday would shorten the window for getting a legal abortion in Florida from 15 weeks to six weeks.
Both Gov. Ron DeSantis and Senate president Kathleen Passidomo are already saying they could get behind the bill filed by Sen. Erin Grall.
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Other lawmakers, like Rep. Anna Eskamani, hope there’s still a chance to reach across the aisle and put a stop to the bill.
“If you care about reproductive rights, you should reject people like Gov. Ron DeSantis,” Eskamani said.
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The bill would not only cut the amount of a time a person would be able to seek an abortion, it would also prohibit telehealth from prescribing and shipping abortion medication.
Another difference between the new bill and the 15-week ban in place now is the exceptions it’s offering. This bill will allow women to get an abortion if they’re victims of rape or incest.
“I think the exceptions are sensible and we welcome pro-life legislation,” DeSantis said.
Eskamani said the scope of the bill is too narrow.
The bill asks women to, “provide a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or documentation providing evidence that she is obtaining the termination of pregnancy because she is a victim of rape or incest.”
Read: Gov. Ron DeSantis signs 15-week abortion ban into law in Kissimmee
“These are personal medical decisions between a person, their family and their faith,” she said. “People like Ron DeSantis don’t need to be in the exam room making these personal decisions.”
If the bill passes and is given the OK, it could still be halted by the state supreme court, which is currently still considering the legality of the 15-week ban.
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