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Scott Signs Bill Tightening Restrictions On Abortion Clinics
March 26, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday approved a sweeping measure that will tighten restrictions on Florida abortion clinics to the point that some say they will be forced to close.
Spokeswomen for Planned Parenthood, which will lose funding under the bill (HB 1411), called the measure “dangerous” and “cruel.”
But supporters, including Pam Olsen of the International House of Prayer, hailed the new law.
“It’s good news on Good Friday,” said Olsen, who is frequently involved in issues at the Capitol.
The bill, which passed largely along party lines, restricts state agencies, local governments and Medicaid managed-care plans from contracting with organizations that own, operate or are affiliated with clinics that perform elective abortions.
That restriction, said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, means low-income Floridians could lose access to the organization’s health-care and family-planning services. Planned Parenthood said it has more than 67,000 patients in Florida annually.
“As a result of this bill, thousands of people across Florida may no longer be able to access essential reproductive health care, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and well-woman exams,” Richards said in a statement. “This cruel bill is designed to rip health care away from those most at risk.”
Senate sponsor Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, said on the Senate floor that the bill would likely close six of Florida’s 65 abortion clinics.
Among its provisions, the measure will require clinics that perform first-trimester abortions to have patient-transfer agreements with nearby hospitals, or for clinic doctors to have admitting privileges nearby. Clinics that perform second-trimester abortions would have to meet both conditions.
Opponents contend those provisions are medically unnecessary, but supporters say they will protect women’s health and safety.
“Abortionists will finally be held to the same standard as all other physicians who perform invasive procedures in a non-hospital setting by the requirement to have admitting privileges or a transfer agreement with a nearby hospital,” Ingrid Delgado of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement. “It is incomprehensible that opponents suggest the bill makes women less safe.”
Additionally, the bill changes the definition of a first trimester to the period from fertilization through the end of the 11th week of pregnancy. That’s a different definition than the state has used in the past, but it’s consistent with an administrative action last year by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which alleged that five clinics — including three Planned Parenthood facilities — performed second-trimester abortions without the proper licenses. Clinics have filed challenges, contending that the state changed the definition of a first trimester without notice.
Also, the new law will require the state to inspect at least 50 percent of abortion-clinic records each year. It also bans the sale and donation of fetal remains from abortions and increases the penalties for the improper disposal of fetal remains.
Opponents have said the bill was partly aimed at punishing Planned Parenthood, which has been the target of a national controversy since last year, when videos surfaced alleging that the organization was profiting from the sale of fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood strongly denied the allegations, and a Texas grand jury that looked at the issues cleared the organization of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Planned Parenthood deployed a six-figure ad buy to urge Scott to veto the bill and delivered 12,000 petitions to that effect to the governor’s office — without success.
“I thought all along he would sign it,” Olsen said. “He’s signed every pro-life bill that’s come across his desk.”
Planned Parenthood and its allies are vowing to fight the new law, but were not ready Friday to say whether they will go to court to try to get it struck down on constitutional grounds.
“We’re evaluating all of our options and will do everything in our power to protect access to care,” Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, wrote in an email.
But House sponsor Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, has said an amendment approved by the Senate before the final votes was aimed at making sure the measure meets constitutional tests.
Abortion-related laws have repeatedly drawn legal challenges over the years, including a case now pending at the Florida Supreme Court about a 2015 law that requires 24-hour waiting periods before women can have abortions. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a Texas law that includes a number of provisions that Florida has adopted.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Comments
14 Responses to “Scott Signs Bill Tightening Restrictions On Abortion Clinics”
I also know of a man who has nine kids, and he worked his way through college, while his wife homeschooled the kids and he provided for all of them, while working at a welders wage, AND GOING TO COLLEGE, and not getting a penny of welfere ” He would’nt have taken it if you tried to give it to him” so don’t tell me you can’t provide for a baby, so you half to have an abortion, because I’m not buying it!!!
@jim
Like I said earlier, with abortion 99.5 percent of the time, and Jim’s comments prove it’s not about medical necessity or life of the mother, ITS ABOUT INCONVENIENCE AND SELFISHNESS and another thing you may be able to abort that child, but you can’t
abort most STD’s or AIDS and that’s on the rise again, Oh, I wonder why people get that stuff anyways!!!! It must just come out of thin air!!!
I’m with John who is anti-abortion. I am pro life, and my question to all you pro-abortion folks who want to throw rocks at me for thinking that abortion is murder is: What is wrong with using responsible birth control, or better yet, not having sex at all unless you want to get pregnant? By that, I mean married. The woman’s right to choose comes BEFORE she gets pregnant! Put the baby up for adoption if you can’t afford to raise it or you make a mistake. Don’t kill the poor thing because YOU made a MISTAKE!
I blame the male also, however, the bottom line is abortion is killing. I believe with every sexual encounter you lose a little more of your soul. If you can have an abortion though, you could do anything in the right circumstances. Betray a loved one, take a life to protect your way of life, or even suicide. It’s the easy way out. Even though deep down you know it’s wrong but still you’ll sacrifice your character from the decisions you made in the first place to make it easier for yourself. One of the most selfish actions you can choose. But keep listening to the perverted hippie love everyone liberal crap the destroyers of this once great nation keep spouting. Heck, it’s your body, your choice.
Not a very popular notion, but this push to make people unisex ie; equal is killing us all. A man and woman are different for a reason. Ok here goes, women being part of the mainstream workforce has ruined families and marriage. Not to say women are inferior or anything but for the family unit to work it needs to be whole. Look at the stats from even just the 50’s much less 100 years ago compared to now. Yes even with your polluted way of thinking “I dont need a man…..”, children are better off with a father present. Dont get me started on you homosexuals raising kids. And yes there were single mothers who did well in the 50’s but not in the atrocious numbers today. Morals, beliefs, character, are thrown away and sacrificed so you can have your way.
–The last virtue of a dying society is tolerance.–Aristotle
I find it ironic that those who oppose aborting a fetus have no qualms in condemning a woman to death by withholding life saving medical treatment.
It amazing to me that someone who is pro-abortion would criticize some who is not, and try and rationalize their messy life by condemning a pro-lifer for not adopting these children or working at orphanages, HOW IS IT MY RESPONSIBILITY, to fix your mess, there are orphanages everywhere and you know something, there are still baby’s being killed.
I have said this before, many women have abortions because the man is not around to fill the role of the father, he has ran away like a little boy.
I blame the father, I mean the little boy, more than I do the pregnant mother!
It would be a beautiful world if this discussion would not even be necessary. Every baby should grow up in a loving FAMILY – protected and cared for by a mother and a father. However, since today’s society encourages single women to be sexually active and to conceive, we watch these kids grow up in poverty and being neglected. We cannot have it both ways. Why is it so wrong to rather see a child not being born than to watch it suffer and being abused?
A special place in hell John? What exactly would be a “special place” in hell? Is that like a corner that’s hotter than the other areas? Tell me all you sanctimonious folks calling for an end to abortions… How much are you willing to contribute to the raising and care of these children?? What exactly are you willing to do for the 18 year old young woman that has a minimum wage job who’s boyfriend just left her after she got pregnant? I’m guessing nothing more than scold her for not taking more precaution? What about that same girl who was not able to receive birth control bc she works for a religious based company that doesn’t provide for her birth control(Hobby Lobby)?? What if this same boyfriend used a condom that broke? That’s right, you’re probably going to say she should’ve been abstinent huh? These are real world examples… The world doesn’t happen in a vacuum… Who’s going to care for this child now that you want to remove abortion as an option? The 18 year old young woman who barely scrapes by on minimum wage? You’re now guaranteeing she is on welfare, but you complain about that too!
all of you that commented and said how wrong abortion is and that you don’t want your tax dollars paying for it let me ask you this how many orphanages do you volunteer at how many foster kids do you have how many children have you adopted I’m probably right about this the answer is none so why tell someone having a child what to do with it if your not willing to do anything other than comment
This is the worst governor I have ever seen.
Gov., Rick Scott dd something right for a change,
If most of cases are argued for abortion is over rape and incest. Killing babies is not the answer but changing the laws on these CRIMINALS and being tougher is
To use our tax-money to fund these murder mills has to STOP!!
You want to kill you child instead of abstinence? Do it on your dime, not mine.
I believe there is a special place hell for those that purposely end the life of a child, in the womb or outside the womb. How does a piece of flesh between the child and the outside world give it less value? Abortion at the root is an act of selfishness, because of the parents recklessness. In the end, these souls will bear testimony against and be witness to the the prosecution of their parents and abortionist at the judgement seat of GOD.
A win for Jesus , amen
I don’t see how anybody can be for abortions or make the decision to have one, after losing babies, no matter how early, to me their still babies, whether it be someone else’s or mine, they aught to be made to hear that tiny heartbeat & sometimes Drs don’t even give you a chance to hear it. Some people tell girls what they want to hear not the truth, like oh well you can have another one later but there is times that that one precious baby is the only one they will ever have. Why does one have to discard a baby when all they have to do is just be careful & practice abstinence? Girls just double date & be careful on who your around.