Jesse Scheckner
Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon is warning Floridians who support women’s reproductive rights to start looking hard at next year’s elections if they aren’t already, citing word from a top state Republican that GOP lawmakers are now developing a Texas-style abortion bill.
During a television interview Thursday, Senate President Wilton Simpson said his party was “already working on” a so-called “heartbeat bill,” which would ban abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, when many women aren’t yet aware they’re pregnant.
It remains to be seen how closely Florida’s version resembles the restrictive Texas bill, which went into effect Wednesday and, among other things, deputizes citizens to sue for up to $10,000 anyone who performs or “aids and abets” an abortion (rather than placing enforcement in state officials’ hands).
But one thing is certain, Nixon said.
“If voters do not act decisively to change the balance of power in Tallahassee in 2022, we are likely to see the same kind of full-scale assault on a women’s right to choose that we are witnessing in Texas right here in Florida,” she said in a statement. “That would be catastrophic.”
Nixon on Friday joined several other elected Florida Democrats in sounding the alarm about a Florida version of the bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Chris Sprowls said they planned to review before making endorsements.
Among them: Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who are running to unseat DeSantis next year; Sens. Janet Cruz and Annette Taddeo; and fellow Reps. Tracie Davis, Anna V. Eskamani, Michelle Rayner, and Carlos Smith.
Some similarly urged progressive Floridians to show up at the ballot box, as well as on the street.
“Women who care about their own rights, and men who care about the women in their life, need to organize like we’ve never organized before,” Taddeo said.
While reproductive rights issues affect all women, Nixon said, a Texas-style abortion law in Florida could be particularly devastating for Black women.
“As an African-American woman, it terrifies me to think of the nefarious consequences this kind of law could have in my own community,” she said. “Florida ranks 32nd out of 50 U.S. states in terms of maternity mortality rates and carrying a pregnancy to term carries a four times greater risk of death for Black women. Between implicit bias, lack of health insurance, and no access to quality health care, pregnancy can be a death sentence for too many of us.”
She continued: “This is not about upholding the value of human life. It’s about devaluing the lives of rape victims and women that rely on this essential medical service while giving community vigilantes an opportunity to victimize these women for a bounty.”
7 comments
Alex
September 3, 2021 at 6:56 pm
The American Taliban in Texas (and the other Talibanish states like Florida who will pass something similar) have no idea about the shitstorm they just brewed.
Donna Rowlett
September 4, 2021 at 6:43 pm
They love what happened! Amy Barrett and Kavanaugh just gutted Roe vs Wade and Texas republicans and who ever voter for trump and damn happy about it. 58 percent of white women voted for trump. All red states a following suit as I write.
Jerry
September 3, 2021 at 9:39 pm
“My body, my choice” right liberals? Just as long as it’s not about vaccines, right? Then you don’t get a choice.
Ron Ogden
September 3, 2021 at 10:09 pm
Think of how many helpless lives we can save, how many children will grow up to become your friends and helpers, how many young heroes and geniuses will benefit our land, how many poets and composers, writers and actors, solid, contributing men and women for the new century, if all we do is say, firmly, no more senseless, selfish killing. It’s easy. Let the babies live!
Bennett Marco
September 4, 2021 at 9:19 am
The Democrats have no choice except to end the filibuster and pack the court with sane, progressive justices in order to save Roe and preserve womens rights and democracy,
Ron Ogden
September 4, 2021 at 10:42 am
And, after 2022, Republicans will have no choice except to pack the court with conservative, Constitutionally-minded justices who will find nothing in the founders’ words that encouraged mass murder of the helpless.
Dan
September 4, 2021 at 9:40 am
Over the last year the Dems have pretty much destroyed the concept of medical privacy. They have argued that the government AND corporations should have a say in your private medical decisions based on whether that private decision is beneficial to society. You have liberals arguing that vaccines should be mandated all over our society. They argue the vaccines are beneficial to society. But some also would argue killing a fetus not only kills that child but the child would be beneficial to society. Remember in the mind of liberals…society comes first before the selfish individual, right libs? So maybe the abortion shouldn’t be allowed.
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