In light of the controversial Texas abortion bill, the Florida Senate president confirmed that a similar measure is being explored in the Sunshine State.
The Texas law, which was signed in May by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, has sparked national outrage among women’s rights groups. The new bill prohibits abortions once a heartbeat is detected, which is generally around the six-week mark. That is usually when most women discover that they are pregnant. Despite public outcry, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled not to block the state’s abortion legislation.
Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson praised the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the bill.
“The Texas law represents a new approach, and the fact that the Supreme Court didn’t block it from taking effect is encouraging,” Simpson said in a statement Thursday. He further explained that as someone who was adopted as a child, it is important to him to take appropriate steps to “promote adoption and prevent abortion.”
Simpson is now eager to explore what steps the Florida Senate can take to enforce similar abortion limitations. He told WFLA on Thursday that they were “already working on” a “heartbeat bill.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has long been a supporter of stricter abortion bills.
Republican House Speaker Chris Sprowls also confirmed that stricter abortion restrictions were in the works, stating that terminating a fetus “with a beating heart is wrong.”
Florida’s next legislative session will begin on January 11th, 2022.
