TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida senators will take on the topic of abortion Monday after the state House approved its own controversial bill that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks.
Florida now joins Arizona and West Virginia in advancing similar bans this legislative session.
It still has a ways to go before it could become law. It has to make it through the Senate—before it ends up on the governor’s desk for his approval.
With this bill, the window of time to get an abortion in the state shrinks from 24 to 15 weeks.
RELATED: Florida House passes GOP 15-week abortion ban
State Representative Cord Byrd said he supports the move.
“We’re dealing with the life of the unborn child and the life of the mother and it’s our job as the state to find balance between the unborn child’s and the mother’s interest,” Byrd said.
News4Jax political analyst Rick Mullaney says even if it becomes law—the future of it depends on how the Supreme Court rules on a similar abortion ban out of Mississippi.
“Clearly that law was at odds with Roe versus Wade and Planned Parenthood versus Casey but that’s now before the Supreme Court,” Mullaney said. “They’ve heard oral argument and they’re going to rule in June and many people believe they’re going to modify Roe or overturn it.”
There are some exceptions in both bills—including if the abortion is needed to protect the mother’s life or in the case of fetal abnormalities.
Neither includes exceptions for rape or incest.
Opponents, including State representative Angie Nixon, believe it infringes on the rights of women.
“We should not be as a legislature, dictating what a woman does with her body,” Nixson said. “That should be between a woman, her family, and her God and her doctor. Not a majority white male legislature.”
Governor DeSantis has not made any public comment about this abortion ban since it cleared the house. But he has supported similar legislation in the past.
There are only three weeks left in this year’s legislative session for all of this to unfold.