Abortion Waiting Period Awaits Scott’s Signature

April 25, 2015

A bill that would require 24-hour waiting periods before women can have abortions is heading to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott, following passage Friday in the Florida Senate.

By a vote of 26-13, the Republican-dominated Senate approved the bill (HB 633), which the House passed Wednesday. The Senate vote was along straight party lines.

“There is nothing I will be more proud of than to be a voice for the unborn,” Sen. Anitere Flores, a Miami Republican and the Senate sponsor, said in her closing statement.

Flores said the bill would add a day-long waiting period to the current requirements for informed consent before women can have abortions in Florida. The current requirements include discussing such issues as medical risks to the woman and fetus, a description of the fetus and a list of entities that offer alternatives to terminating pregnancies.

“All that we’re requiring is that it be done 24 hours prior,” she said.

Lawmakers earlier this week approved adding exceptions for victims of rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking to the bill. However, those victims could only get waivers of the 24-hour waiting period if they can produce police reports, restraining orders, medical records or other documentation.

“All of this documentation is unnecessary government intrusion into the lives of women,” said Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando.

Flores on Thursday fended off a series of amendments that Democrats said would alleviate hardships on women for whom two trips to abortion clinics in other counties could put the procedure out of financial reach.

“Seventy percent of the counties in this state don’t have an abortion provider,” Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, said Friday.

Meanwhile, Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, said he opposed the bill because it was unconstitutional.

“Under the Florida Constitution, we have a right to privacy,” he said. “I would not be surprised to see this bill challenged immediately.”

After the vote, Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said the bill’s opponents would turn their attention to urging Scott to veto the measure.

“But should he sign it, advocates for reproductive rights will take whatever steps possible to ensure women’s access to health care is guaranteed without delay,” Goodhue wrote in an email.

A Scott spokeswoman said he would review the bill before making any decision.

As with other debates as the bill moved toward passage, Friday’s discussion juxtaposed a woman’s right to choose with the sanctity of life.

“As a woman, that should be my right (to make reproductive decisions),” said Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.

“This is not a medical procedure,” said Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island. “This is a life.”

Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, said the bill really is about “restricting access” to abortions. Clemens said there were better ways of reducing the number of abortions, such as spending money on sexual health, family planning and sex education.

“But instead of doing those things that are proven to work, we’re basically trying to find a way of restricting women’s access,” he said.

However, Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, said the measure “does not limit a woman’s right to have an abortion.”

“It’s making sure we have the same standard for women as we do in every other medical procedure, and that there is not a business, the business of abortion, trying to take advantage of women and trying to play on their emotion and talk them into something that they make money on and you spend the rest of your life regretting,” Stargel said.

Planned Parenthood’s Goodhue said such charges “are simply not true.”

“Our physicians, nurse practitioners and family-planning assistants all work hard every day to provide high-quality, non-judgmental, affordable health care to women and men to enable them to make the right decision for them,” Goodhue wrote in an email. “Decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy or raise a child should be left to a woman, her family, her faith and her health care provider.”

Stargel also said that pregnancies resulting from rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking provide “all the more reason to reflect” before having an abortion.

by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida

Comments

2 Responses to “Abortion Waiting Period Awaits Scott’s Signature”

  1. Sandra on April 28th, 2015 6:36 pm

    I feel sorry for this woman. If all women considering having an abortion were made to take the time to think about what it would be like to kill their own baby, I think that most of them would decide to let the child live, even if it was conceived under undesirable circumstances. After all, that baby is half the mother’s and half the father’s. She is killing her own child who could be allowed to live and be adopted by loving parents. The child is not guilty of doing anything undesirable or hurtful. The mother actually does not have a right to kill it.

  2. abortionsurvivor on April 25th, 2015 12:10 pm

    I speak from my own experience. I call myself abortion survivor because the aftermath of the abortion almost killed me. I was prepered to have an abortion. I had even prepared for it for a week or so. I had two small children and one very small income. To make a long story short, I made a decision that would forever chance my life.

    It was Friday the 13th, 2004. I still remember what I wore. I remember the whole thing. Every detail. I remember the protestors as we were pulling up. I put my head down and would not listen or look at them. We were escorted inside by a deputy sheriff. Once inside your given an ultrasound, and blood test to make sure your pregnant and you have enough iron in your blood to survive.

    The people there was not what I expected. Most of them were in a situation like mine. There was a 58 yeard old lady who cried and prayed the whole time. Her Doctor had told her that if she had the baby it would kill her. There were only two people that I saw that were underage. It looked as if there were about 30-40 of us there. With some leaving and coming the whole time.

    I was told that when I left I would not be pregnant. I was shown a vidoe. It was made very clear to me that I was killing the fetus inside of me, What I was not prepared for was the aftermath. Guilt, depression, no will to go on. I almost committed suicide. So I feel like for some people the 24 hours might save them from that. But I had to go to counseling for 18 months to recover. I would love to see some for of that provided for those who need it. These is no way anyone can prepeare for that.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News