Florida Senate approves 6-week abortion ban as two Republicans vote 'no'

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate on Monday approved a proposed ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, with two Republicans opposing the bill amid outbursts from protesters.

The bill, S.B. 300, would ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for women facing life-threatening harm during pregnancy, and exemptions of up to 15 weeks for victims of rape, incest and human trafficking. There’s also $30 million for the Florida Department of Health to expand programs that support contraception, parenting and pregnancies.

The measure, which is sponsored by state Sen. Erin Grall (R-Vero Beach), was approved 26-13 and still must pass the state House before heading to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Before the vote Monday, Grall invoked comments made by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat who had said abortions should be safe, legal and rare.

“We’re so far from safe, legal and rare, we have normalized and sterilized the taking of life as health care,” Grall said. “We’ve heard women will continue to have abortions, but that’s like saying people will continue murdering people.”

The House is expected to take up the issue next week. Republicans hold a supermajority in the Legislature, and the bill is expected to have no difficulties reaching DeSantis, who also supports it.

The debate on the bill was halted for 10 minutes by protesters in the public-viewing gallery who screamed comments such as “People will die” and "Abortion is health care." State Sen. Ileana Garcia (R-Miami) began pointing at protesters and said, “You shut up," before Senate President Kathleen Passidomo ordered security to clear the public-viewing gallery.

After the session resumed, state Sen. Alexis Calatayud (R-Miami) said she was voting against the 6-week ban on behalf of her constituents, but she still supported several other parts of the bill.

“I’m not supporting this bill today, but I believe it will pass and it will become the law in this state,” said Calatayud, who also voted against the bill in two committee hearings. “And I believe it will go a long way to help change the hearts and minds influenced by a decade of anti-life culture.”

The second opposing Republican vote was from state Sen. Cory Simon (R-Tallahassee), who offered no comment during the debate. Simon also did not vote on the bill during its final Senate committee meeting last week. Simon’s district includes Leon County, which is a stronghold for Democrats.

Democrats argued that the bill supported Christian principles over health care for women, and that the government should not interfere in decisions that a patient makes with a doctor. State Sen. Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) said the measure was written to make women feel ashamed of making health-care decisions.

“I won’t let anyone make me feel ashamed and not have to acknowledge it,” Davis said. “No woman should be ashamed to have an abortion.”