DeSantis signs Florida's 15-week abortion ban into law

Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by ajenn22

(CNN) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on Thursday a Mississippi-style anti-abortion measure that bans the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy without exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking.

The bill, which goes into effect July 1, does allow exemptions in cases where a pregnancy is "serious risk" to the mother or a fatal fetal abnormality is detected if two physicians confirm the diagnosis in writing.

The bill makes Florida the latest Republican-led state to advance a 15-week abortion ban bill this session. Additionally, the Kentucky legislature on Wednesday overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a broad abortion bill that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. And in Oklahoma, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday signed a bill into law that makes performing an abortion illegal in the state, with an exception only in the case of a medical emergency.

The US Supreme Court appears poised to uphold the Mississippi law that bars abortion after 15 weeks. The fate of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, also hangs in the balance, and anti-abortion activists are hopeful that the court's conservative majority will strike it down.

Previously, Florida had allowed abortion through the second trimester of a pregnancy, making it one of the most permissive states for abortion in the southeast. Abortion advocates said many women from neighboring states often traveled to Florida for the procedure, meaning changes to Florida's law could be felt all throughout the region.

Neumo500 on April 14th, 2022 at 17:39 UTC »

You can certainly tell midterms are soon

hades1104 on April 14th, 2022 at 17:31 UTC »

This guy won by .04% and he governs like he's in Wyoming. SMH

AvogadrosMoleSauce on April 14th, 2022 at 16:16 UTC »

with no exception for rape.