Global Courant 2023-04-14 10:28:24
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act Thursday night, bringing the state more in line with other Republican-led states just hours after the legislation passed the Florida legislature.
The new law extends protection to unborn children, giving them the full right to life once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which could be as early as six weeks into pregnancy. It also provides funding to help mothers across the state.
“Signed the Heartbeat Protection Act, which expands pro-life protections and frees up resources to help young mothers and families,” DeSantis wrote on Twitter Thursday, sharing a photo of himself at his governor’s office where he passed the law signs.
In the photo, DeSantis is surrounded by pro-life legislators and lawyers.
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Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law on Thursday, April 13, 2023. (Twitter/Ron DeSantis)
Several people reacted to the post, with pro-life leaders praising the governor’s action and his fulfillment of a pledge to defend Florida life.
Others were critical of the legislation. Opponents of the law argue that by the time most women find out they are pregnant, it will be too late to have an abortion.
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Earlier in the day, the Florida legislature passed the Heartbeat Protection Act, or SB 300, which provides protection for unborn babies with a heartbeat as early as six weeks into pregnancy.
Governor Ron DeSantis speaks with pro-life supporters before signing Florida’s 15-week abortion ban into law at Nacion de Fe Church in Kissimmee. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The new law also allocates $25 million in funds for pregnancy centers across the state. The money is expected to help women during their pregnancy and after the child is born.
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After the heartbeat law was passed by the Florida legislature, the White House issued a statement critical of the “extreme and dangerous” legislation.
“Today, the supermajority-controlled Florida legislature sent an extreme and dangerous new abortion ban to Governor DeSantis’ office for signature. and of the entire United States,” White House Press Secretary Karine-Jean Pierre said in a statement.
Governor Ron DeSantis signs Florida’s 15-week abortion ban at Kissimmee’s Nacion de Fe Church. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
It continued: “This ban would prevent four million women of childbearing age in Florida from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women know they are pregnant. This ban would also affect the nearly 15 million women of childbearing age age living in abortion — banning states across the South, many of whom previously relied on travel to Florida as an option to access care.
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The legislation allows exceptions to save the woman’s life or for cases of rape or incest up to 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Florida currently has a 15-week abortion ban, which was signed into law by DeSantis in April 2022. The ban was quickly sued and could make its way to the Supreme Court.
Fox News’ Kendall Tietz contributed to this report.
