Abortion bill signed into law in Texas prompts reaction in Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida Republican lawmaker said he plans to file an abortion bill just like the controversial bill signed into law in Texas.
"I’ve taken the Texas bill verbatim – the exact bill – and put it into drafting and when it’s finalized and done being drafted, I’m going to file it as a standalone bill," said Florida House Representative Anthony Sabatini.
The Texas bill signed into law prohibits abortions after the presence of a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur six weeks into pregnancy.
The law also allows private citizens to sue people who perform or assist in the abortion procedure.
Democratic lawmakers say the abortion ban in Texas is too extreme.
"It’s vile. It’s offensive. There are no exceptions to rape or incest," Democratic member of the Florida House of Representative Anna Eskamani said.
Strong opinions continue to take both sides of the issue.
"Unborn children are extremely vulnerable and we need to make sure they are protected," Sabatini said.
So, it remains to be seen what will happen in the next legislative session.
"There has been a track record of Floridians supporting privacy and supporting abortion access here in the state," Eskamani said. "But when it comes to specifically this session, we’ve always been fighting back against anti-abortion extremism."
Gov. DeSantis has already said this week that he welcomes legislation to restrict abortions in Florida.