Florida lawmakers propose bill to ban abortion in 15 weeks

Author: Gabriella Borter

(Reuters) – Florida lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with the exception of serious medical emergencies in the mother or fatal fetal abnormalities.

The bill, introduced on the first day of the 2022 session of the Florida Legislature, sets out a fight for access to abortion in courts and state chapters this year as the U.S. Supreme Court examines the case for reviewing abortion rights.

A 15-week ban would break the Supreme Court’s precedent in Roe v. In Wade, the 1973 case, a woman established the right to terminate her pregnancy before the fetus became viable, about 24 weeks.

But the Supreme Court, with a 6-3 Conservative majority, has ruled in favor of anti-abortion advocates hoping that the ban could come soon.

In December, the Supreme Court heard arguments from Mississippi to revive a 15-week abortion ban, which was blocked by lower courts. Conservative justice has expressed sympathy for Mississippi law, and the courts are expected to rule in the spring.

If the court rules in favor of Mississippi, it will pave the way for states like Florida to successfully advocate for pre-feasibility bans on abortion in the courts.

The Florida bill is part of a wave of Republican-backed abortion-backed measures in recent years across the country, and is likely to follow further on the Supreme Court’s decision. Florida law now prohibits abortion within 24 weeks.

Abortion has long been a topic of political division in the United States, with concerns about protecting abortion opponents from the concept of life and advocates for abortion rights advocating for women’s autonomy.

The issue will be of major importance in the mid-2022 election to decide congressional control.