Jason Delgado
House Minority Leader Evan Jenne on Monday said Democratic opposition would remain firm against a proposal that would ban abortion after 15 weeks, even if Republicans offer to include exceptions for rape or incest.
Jenne’s remarks come as Republicans march a proposal (HB 5) that would enact some of the strictest abortion restrictions in the nation.
Styled after a Mississippi law that’s currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court, the bill would ban abortions after 15 weeks and provides no carveouts for rape, incest or human trafficking.
Speaking to reporters, Jenne suggested such carveouts may appease moderate Republicans, but not Democrats, who oppose the bill at large.
“I don’t think that any incursion on a woman’s right to choose is going to go over well with the overwhelming majority of our caucus,” Jenne said.
He is also skeptical that Republicans, amid an election year, would give up any ground. Gov. Ron DeSantis, House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson — all Republicans — support the bill as originally written. What’s more, Republicans have shot down several dozen Democratic-sponsored amendments on the bill.
“I’m not going to be holding my breath that I see that in there,” Jenne said.
Florida is among a slew of Republican-led states challenging abortion rights nationwide. In October, Texas enacted one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, making the procedure illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks. West Virginia, meanwhile, introduced legislation to impose a 15-week abortion ban earlier this month.
The Republican effort to limit abortion in Florida, however, is tucked within a multipronged proposal.
The bill would loop pregnant women into a tobacco education program, among other provisions. It also would create an infant mortality review process, bolster infant mortality reduction initiatives, and enhance Florida’s abortion reporting requirements to include instances of human trafficking.
Republican Reps. Erin Grall and Jenna Persons-Mulicka are the bill sponsors. They and other proponents note Florida ranks 18th nationally in infant mortality.
The bill will appear Wednesday before the Health & Human Services Committee for its final committee stop.
2 comments
Ron Ogden
January 31, 2022 at 3:18 pm
““I don’t think that any incursion on a woman’s right to choose. . .”
You can always tell when people know their argument is crap: they play word games, coming up with new words that just pretend to define the case. It is not “a woman’s right to choose” it is a “woman’s right to kill” and there is no such right. It is not a “foetus” it is a baby, and it ought to have the dignity to be called by its right name, even as it is dying. Republicans aren’t going to give ground, says Jenne. Well, why should they? Jenne just threw down the gauntlet right here. Republicans will match him blow for blow. The stakes are that great. Precious life of the most vulnerable of us all.
Arm The Homeless
February 1, 2022 at 9:39 am
The GQP pånty-sniffers really are going to turn us into another backwards rëdneck shït-høle.
I would remind these right-wingers that we trained an entire generation of women how to deal with religious extremists placing brutal fåtwahs on civilian populations
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