March 18, 2022
There is an abortion crisis in Florida. The state has the 5th highest abortion rate in the United States. It is the only Republican controlled state with the dishonor of appearing in the top 10 of highest abortion rate states. With an allegedly pro-life majority of legislators in the state, we went into the session hopeful—talking to legislators about strong options to protect the preborn, and encouraged by Governor DeSantis’public statement that he would be open to signing a Heartbeat Bill.
Unfortunately, that’s not what Republican, self-identified “pro-life” legislators gave to Governor DeSantis to sign this session. Republican leadership in Florida prioritized a 15-week abortion restriction bill, House Bill 5, and let the Heartbeat bill languish, killing the bill.
The sad truth is that groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL are feeling emboldened. A “pro-life” majority did nothing more than curtail approximately 5% of their slaughter of the preborn with House Bill 5. While the political class and consultants wrongly fear that being bold & protecting the preborn with will hurt them this election cycle, the truth is, they’ve already galvanized the pro-abortionists over a bill that even the main proponents acknowledge it isn’t that strong. In fact, Florida State Senator Kelli Stargel (R) – the chief sponsor of the Sunshine State’s 15-week bill – put it, “We’re not banning anything. We’re not being mean.”
In other words, Republican legislators in the state are making excuses for dodging the abortion issue and failing to protect the preborn, insisting that pro-life advocates settle for the kid’s meal on the menu of pro-life options, while the pro-abortion lobby is taking the issue seriously and gearing up to fight for abortion tooth-and-nail.
These tactical blunders by the leaders in the Florida legislature resulted in HB 5 being the only bill to pass the Senate and House, and should be sent to Governor DeSantis’ desk soon to sign.
The 15-week ban will save lives in Florida and we celebrate any step towards abolishing abortion. But we do not absolve self-proclaimed pro-lifers for punting when they had the mandate and the opportunity to do more – much more – and lives remain at stake because of their decision not to. According to the CDC’s limited data on abortion, nearly 95% of abortions are committed before 13 weeks, let alone 15 weeks. The preborn deserve protection at conception. We celebrate the older children’s lives who will be saved by Florida’s 15-week ban, but we mourn the younger lives that will not be saved because of a conscious choice by Republican politicians.
Think about it this way: By the time most women find out they are pregnant (at about 4 weeks) their child already has a heartbeat. The child has unique DNA and a sex from the moment of conception. Before 15 weeks, all major organs are developed, brain activity can be detected, the baby has fingerprints, teeth, hair, and more. At conception, a unique child is created who has never existed before and will never exist again (Fetal development information).
Despite wanting more, we are still happy this bill passed and will soon be heading to Governor DeSantis’ desk. Andy Secola, Florida Regional Coordinator and his students went to the state capitol and even testified to share support for the bill as a small step in the right direction. He attended and remarked in a recent blog on the extreme opposition he was met with from those who are pro-abortion.
Florida legislators missed the mark when they settled for only protecting babies at 15 weeks.
They could have and should have done more to save babies and protect women from the violence and pain of abortion.
As we celebrate the lives that will be saved with a 15-week protection, we are more ready than ever to mobilize to demand more for babies in Florida.