Florida Lawmakers Looking at Duplicating Texas Abortion Limits: Report

The Texas abortion legislation banning nearly all abortions within the state already seems to be having a ripple impact.

Republican legislative leaders in Florida indicated Thursday they plan to look at whether or not their state can enact related restrictions.

According to a report by WUWF public radio in northwest Florida, Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, referred to the Texas legislation as “a new approach,” and he known as the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling permitting the measure to face “encouraging.”

“As an adoptive child myself, it’s important to me that we do everything we can to promote adoption and prevent abortion; therefore, I think it’s worthwhile to take a look at the Texas law and see if there is more we can do here in Florida,” Simpson mentioned in an announcement, WUWF reported.

House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, apparently weighed in on the identical scorching matter. He issued an announcement saying he expects the abortion challenge to be pursued in the course of the 2022 legislative session, which is about to begin in January.

“In Florida, we agree that killing an innocent human being with a beating heart is wrong,” Sprowls mentioned within the assertion, as reported by the station. “It is why we’ve got labored each session to strengthen protections for unborn infants, together with these for unborn youngsters with disabilities final session.”

Texas’ legislation outlawing abortions after six weeks was extensively panned by Democrats together with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden. Those criticisms have been reiterated by state Democratic lawmakers, who shortly condemned the Supreme Court resolution and Republican leaders for contemplating bringing related strict regulation to Florida.

“More jaw-dropping hypocrisy from FL’s GOP ‘leaders’ who say it is their choice to wear a mask, but not a woman’s choice what to do with her body,” Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, tweeted. The tweet referred to staunch opposition to masks mandates in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic by Republicans together with Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Texas invoice, signed into legislation in May by Gov. Greg Abbott however held up from enactment by ongoing authorized challenges, outlaws abortions after the presence of a fetal heartbeat is detected, which might happen six weeks right into a being pregnant. The legislation makes exceptions for medical emergencies. What’s extra, although, it lets folks sue those that carry out or assist such procedures previous the six-week threshold. 

According to the radio report, DeSantis informed reporters in West Palm Beach on Thursday he welcomes laws to limit abortions, however he added that the Supreme Court resolution may not have been a “substantive ruling.” While the Supreme Court refused to dam the Texas legislation from taking impact, it didn’t rule on the underlying constitutional points. Still in place are the precedents of the landmark courtroom ruling often called Roe v. Wade, though critics of the Texas legislation and excessive courtroom’s newest motion insist this can be a prelude to the conservative-majority Supreme Court gutting Roe totally

“They (justices) basically said it’s not ripe yet for a decision, that if it ends up going, then you could consider it at that time,” DeSantis mentioned when requested if he would assist a measure like Texas’.

In July, he and 10 different Republican governors signed a quick urging the courtroom to reject the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade resolution and go away abortion points to states. The transient, filed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster in a Mississippi abortion case that’s pending.