A.G. Gancarski
Changes may be afoot yet again for Florida’s laws regarding reproductive rights.
During a press conference in Fort Lauderdale Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked if he would “take the lead” on the “heartbeat bill,” which would ban terminations of pregnancy if there were a detectable fetal heartbeat.
“I’m willing to sign great life legislation. That’s what I’ve always said I would do,” DeSantis said, as House Speaker Paul Renner looked on.
Florida famously passed legislation earlier this year banning abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy, and language in HB 5 made no exception for cases of rape and incest. Before that bill passed, the Governor said that he thought a ban after 15 weeks was “very reasonable.”
“I think that’s very reasonable and I think that’s very consistent with, you know, being supportive of protecting life,” DeSantis told reporters in Bonita Springs in January.
Though DeSantis said Thursday he’s willing to “sign great life legislation,” the heartbeat bill has been a live concept before in the Legislature, and DeSantis did not offer a total endorsement.
Asked to compare and contrast “The Florida Heartbeat Act” (HB 167), a House bill banning abortions after the fetus develops a heartbeat, with what a reporter called “freedom of choice during the pandemic,” DeSantis ultimately offered an inconclusive answer.
“Well, I think the difference is between, uh, the right to life is that another life is at stake. Whereas whether you’re doing stuff is really … if you’ve put something in your body or not, it doesn’t affect other people. So that’s in terms of protecting another life,” the Governor asserted.
“At the end of the day, government was instituted for certain reasons. To protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” DeSantis said.
“It’s a little bit different from how a lot of these debates have gone, so we’ll have to look. I’m going to look more significantly at it,” DeSantis said, also in 2021.
With a supermajority Republican Legislature in Tallahassee, this issue will be one to watch in 2023.
19 comments
SteveHC
December 15, 2022 at 11:26 am
Passage of a so-calked “heartbeat bill” might just be what begins the Florida Republican Party’s self-immolation.
Republicans are corrupt
December 15, 2022 at 11:26 am
Florida is not protecting liberties
Mother Superior Slapshot, Bishop Hedman Academy for Woozy Boys
December 15, 2022 at 12:20 pm
Goodness gracious me, the Yale and Harvard educated governor said, “Whereas whether you’re doing stuff is really … if you’ve put something in your body or not, it doesn’t affect other people.”
Why, that’s the grammar and logic of a five year old who needs a nap! Before he offers extemporaneous explanations, Ronnie should make sure he gets enough sleep first, bless his heart.
Diego Garcia
December 15, 2022 at 2:22 pm
Supreme Court blew-it last June…should have just ruled a person is a person at conception & been done with it. How can a baby be a considered person in one state but not another? Makes no sense, that’s not science. SCOTUS should not have kicked it back to the states. Heartbeat legislation is bogus.
cassandra of the swamp
December 17, 2022 at 1:01 pm
SCOTUS “should have just ruled a person is a person”.
Be patient, Diego…They’re still arguing about how to phrase the “Pregnant Woman Exception”.
Men are responsible for *ALL* unwanted pregnancies
Ejaculate responsibly
Sarah
December 15, 2022 at 2:38 pm
It’s not a heartbeat bill because there is no heart! Please get your terminology correct.
Baby lives matter
December 16, 2022 at 3:35 pm
Incorrect, a baby heart beat begins at 5 1/2 to 6 weeks after conception.
Heart beat bill at a minimum.
Go Governor.
cassandra
December 16, 2022 at 10:21 pm
It doesn’t matter whether an embryo has a heart or not. No one has the right to use someone else’s body without their ongoing consent. Ever. No ALWAYS means No!
Catlover
December 22, 2022 at 4:56 pm
No heart at 6 weeks. Cardiac pole is thee correct terminology. Just because you “feel” there is a heart does not matter.
Arm The Homeless
December 15, 2022 at 3:59 pm
Man, TFG is going to eat Gov. Ronny-Bobby alive as he tries to please the theocrats he needs to sew-up the GQP primary.
Somebody get Gov. Ronny-Bobby a pair of shiny new boots and send him to waddle through some puddles instead of belching out whatever that answer was.
Juls Christian
December 15, 2022 at 4:46 pm
The sound you hear at 6 weeks gestation is NOT a fetal hearbeat. The heart isn’t completely formed and beating. What you are hearing is the ultrasound machine and electrical discharge. I wish they would at least get their science right.
Mark Anderson
December 15, 2022 at 10:14 pm
The girly voiced shortstop has a hard time articulating his thoughts.
Hugh Mack
December 16, 2022 at 9:10 am
Another splashy headline from our pretend Gov. Another opportunity to spend my tax dollars defending losing lawsuits. Florida needs an actual Gov right now not just another Pres. candidate.
Minh Tran
December 16, 2022 at 10:16 am
While thousands of unwanted children rot in the foster care system and even more are living in putrid conditions, Conservatives are still pretending to care about life. They only care about forcing their will upon others.
The pro-Life movement has spent billions of dollars forcing women to have unwanted children, but they don’t do anything to help raise that child.
It’s quite simple, if you aren’t going to assume the responsibilities of a child being brought into this world, you have no say. We have enough Junkies, Career criminals and unwanted homeless, an abortion assures there won’t be another addition.
Ian
December 16, 2022 at 10:45 am
This clown is going to take the GOPs single most losing issue and double down on it. You learned nothing in November and deserve to lose. Can’t cater to a fraction of the population and expect to win. America overwhelming spoke on this issue and if you’re to arrogant to listen to the people you are hoping to represent you deserve what you get.
Mary Pezzi
December 16, 2022 at 11:21 am
In the name of running for POTUS in the current red-meat fear and hate environment of the Republican Party, DeSantis (DeSatan) paid one of his buddies more than $700,000 to recruit, house and then fly a couple dozen immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyards, MA. He authorized an “election police force” to go after “voter fraud” that turned up a max. 20 former-felons, who were told by county election officials it was OK to vote… marched them away in hand cuffs, and now most are being released by local judges. Attacked Florida’s 2 biggest industries: Disney World theme park and cruise ships (for just trying to keep people SAFE and EQUALLY LOVED as customers!) State legislators are now walking back the lawsuits and destruction of the Disney utilities and security special district. My bet is that DeSantis will not last as long as Gov. Christie in New Jersey, when it comes to being an actual presidential contender. The rest of the country is not going to accept this!
M.Y. Choyse
December 22, 2022 at 7:37 am
Men are responsible for ALL pregnancies. Since responsibility necessarily conveys authority, and since some men may not wish to be fathers, men should have “choice”, too, right? They should be able to choose to terminate a pregnancy for which they are responsible. Equality, right?
cassandra of the swamp
December 22, 2022 at 12:46 pm
If the pregnancy is inside a man’s body, YES. 100% **ALWAYS**!!!
You know the risks: Ejaculate Responsibly
Margarita Senorita
December 25, 2022 at 12:21 pm
Good.
Comments are closed.