TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Rep. Anthony Sabatini is planning to sponsor a heartbeat abortion bill, mimicking the new policy in Texas.
He’s failed in previous attempts but believes 2022 will be different as Republicans may no longer need to fear rejection by the Supreme Court after its recent decision to allow the Texas law to remain in effect.
“It’s time to start saving the lives of innocent unborn children in Florida,” Sabatini said. "For three years, I have been the co-sponsor of the “Heartbeat” Bill, fighting the radical left and the weak Republican establishment to get this bill past. The RINOs in Tallahassee have stopped progress every step of the way. It’s time to put them on the record and ensure a vote of the House immediately."
Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson is openly supporting the idea.
President Simpson told WFLA-Ch. 8 “there is no question” the Florida legislature will consider an abortion heartbeat bill like Texas’ in this upcoming session. “It’s something we’re already working on.”
He released the following statement to ABC 27:
The Texas law represents a new approach and the fact that the Supreme Court didn’t block it from taking effect is encouraging.
Abortion kills children and forever changes the life of the mother, the father, and the entire extended family. 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.
I continue to believe that being pro-life is about more than opposing abortion. I have and will continue to champion funding for options like Hormonal Long Acting Reversible Contraception, which prevents unplanned pregnancies that lead to abortions. Child welfare reforms that support children, parents, and members of the extended family willing to take on child rearing responsibilities are also important to me.
Providing approaches like HLARC give young people the opportunity to delay parenting without the trauma and carnage brought on by abortion, while investments in child welfare programs create an environment in our state where young parents can feel confident that there are options other than abortion and they will be supported in their decision to choose life for their babies.
Asked during a press conference Thursday whether he'd support a Texas-style abortion law in Florida, Governor DeSantis said, "I'm pro-life. I welcome pro-life legislation." Then added, "I'm going to have to look more significantly at it."
And here's Florida's @GovRonDeSantis on whether he'd support a Texas-style abortion law in Florida: "I'm pro-life. I welcome pro-life legislation," he said. Then added, "I'm going to have to look more significantly at it." pic.twitter.com/URw2LzvScn
— Forrest Saunders (@FBSaunders) September 2, 2021
The Texas law banning most abortions in the state took effect Wednesday, with the Supreme Court silent on an emergency appeal to put the law on hold.
The law is the most far-reaching restriction on abortion rights in the United States since the high court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion across the country in 1973.
It prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks and before most women know they’re pregnant.
President Joe Biden issued a statement saying, “extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade and upheld as precedent for nearly half a century.”
However, the abortion rate in the U.S. has been in steady decline since the 1990s. Both proponents of abortion and anti-abortion activists credit this to the passing of laws restricting women’s access to the procedure, according to reporting by Reuters.
Senator Annette Taddeo gave ABC 27 the statement below regarding Florida Republicans announcing plans for a Texas-style abortion bill:
Understand what Florida Republicans want to do: They want to give rapists the right to sue their victims to stop them from getting an abortion - and to be able to collect money from their victims who try to have an abortion. If Republicans get their way, rapists will have more power over this decision than the victim.
There are no words for this. Women who care about their own rights, and the men who care about the women in their life, need to organize like we've never organized before. This isn't a vague threat from Republicans - they relish the opportunity to take away the rights of women to make their own health care choices. The only thing Republicans in Tallahassee fear is not being in power, so the only way this stops is for Floridians to make it absolutely crystal clear the electoral consequences of moving forward with what is essentially a bill of rights for rapists.
The Texas law does not make exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest, and also allows individuals to sue those suspected of helping a woman obtain an abortion, with an award of up to $10,000.
