JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Thursday banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, adding Florida to a growing list of red states that have implemented new restrictions on abortions.
The bill follows Kentucky, which imposed a similar 15-week ban on Thursday, a day after the state legislature voted to override the veto of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
Mr. DeSantis celebrated the measure at a bill-signing ceremony in Kissimmee, where he appeared at the Hispanic church, Nacion de Fe (Faith Nation).
“House Bill 5 protects babies in the womb who have beating hearts, who can move, who can taste, who can see, and who can feel pain,” said Mr. DeSantis, a Republican. “Life is a sacred gift worthy of our protection, and I am proud to sign this great piece of legislation which represents the most significant protections for life in the state’s modern history.”
Florida and Kentucky are among several states seeking to tighten restrictions on abortion.
On Tuesday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt endorsed legislation implementing a near-total ban on abortion in his state. That bill makes performing an abortion a felony, except to save the life of a pregnant woman, and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Oklahoma is among five states that ban abortion from conception, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion laws.
Texas is among 11 states banning abortion at six weeks, while Florida and Kentucky join Mississippi and Louisiana in banning abortion after 15 weeks. Florida had previously banned abortion after 24 weeks of fetal development.
New abortion restrictions have been passed in more than two dozen states since 2020, ranging from limits on insurance coverage to Oklahoma’s outright ban.
Democrats have used the restrictions to rally the party base ahead of the 2022 election. Critics of abortion restrictions and opponents of Mr. DeSantis slammed the new law, noting it does not provide an exception for rape, incest or human trafficking.
State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is running in the Democratic primary to challenge Mr. DeSantis on the November ballot, called the bill “despicable,” and said it would largely impact “those who are low income, people of color, all of whom have faced historical inequities with respect to healthcare.”
State legislative efforts to ban abortion have faced court challenges.
The Texas Supreme Court in March ruled against a challenge to the state’s six-week ban brought by abortion advocacy groups, leaving few legal avenues left for blocking the ban, which took effect in September 2021.
State efforts to curb abortion have ramped up in advance of a Supreme Court ruling later this year on the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion at the federal level. If the high court overturns Roe v. Wade, it would return regulation of abortion to the states.
Mr. DeSantis said the 15-week ban is part of his pro-life agenda. He signed legislation in June 2020 to require written consent from a minor’s parent or legal guardian to obtain an abortion.
Florida’s abortion ban includes $1.6 million in recurring funding for prenatal programs aimed at reducing infant mortality and morbidity.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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