Republican lawmakers in Florida have advanced a bill which would effectively ban abortions after 15 weeks gestation. The bill, supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, is similar to the Mississippi bill which is the subject of the Supreme Court case Dobbs vs. Jacksons Women Health Organization.
The bill reduces the limit on abortions drastically from 24 weeks. The Florida House of Representatives voted to advance the bill 12 votes to 6, and must now face two more committees in the House.
Ron DeSantis, who is set to contend for the presidency in 2024, has voiced his support for the bill. “I think if you look at what’s been done in some of these other states — I mean, when you start talking about 15 weeks where you have really serious pain and heartbeats and all this stuff — having protections I think is something that makes a lot of sense,” the Catholic governor said.