Florida Senate passes GOP bill banning abortion after 15 weeks, sending it to governor

Protesters against Florida's strict abortion ban bill.
(Image credit: Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)

With a vote of 23-15, Florida's Republican-controlled Senate passed a bill on Thursday night that prohibits women from getting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for victims of rape, incest, or human trafficking. The state's present law restricts abortions after 24 weeks.

The bill, H.B. 5, passed two weeks after the Florida House approved an identical measure. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has indicated he will sign the bill. It is expected to take effect July 1.

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book tearfully spoke to her colleagues about being drugged and gang raped when she was a teenager, and called on Republicans to add exemptions for victims of rape, incest, and human trafficking, Politico reports. After the vote, Book said those who support reproductive rights will continue their work, adding, "We may not win this battle, but the women of Florida are not done with this fight. This is the beginning, not the end."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

With this measure, which follows Mississippi's abortion law, Florida becomes the latest state to erode protections granted under Roe v Wade. Mississippi's law has made its way to the Supreme Court, and a decision is expected over the summer.

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.

Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.