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DeSantis, his Supreme Court and hard-right Legislature keep Florida on track to abolish abortion
Florida BulldogNo reasonable access to abortion in Florida, unthinkable just five years ago, now seems inevitable.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican-dominated Legislature and the Florida Supreme Court speak as a single voice that vehemently opposes recognizing women’s reproductive rights. Earlier this month Chief Justice Carlos Muniz went so far as to inject anti-abortion buzzwords into a hearing although neither party had raised the relevant issue.
Late last week the Florida Senate seemed poised to pass a bill that foreshadows adding “fetal personhood” to civil liability law. The measure would enable parents to sue for the wrongful death of a fetus, redefined as an “unborn child,” and seek money damages from the alleged perpetrator.
But a public outcry, mostly about a similar law in Alabama, forced at least a temporary delay. On Monday the bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, requested a postponement.
“It looks like our voices were heard,” said Kat Duesterhaus, legislative director of Florida NOW. She noted the bill isn’t dead this session, only shelved for the moment. The Legislature is set to adjourn on March 8.
Fetal personhood, which grants legal rights from conception, is the Holy Grail of anti-abortion zealots. It carries the promise of criminally prosecuting any pregnant woman or healthcare provider who destroys a fetus in the course of medical treatment.
“If you’re not worried about fetal personhood, you should be,” feminist author Jessica Valenti wrote in her “Abortion, Every Day” newsletter on Substack.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican-dominated Legislature and the Florida Supreme Court speak as a single voice that vehemently opposes recognizing women’s reproductive rights. Earlier this month Chief Justice Carlos Muniz went so far as to inject anti-abortion buzzwords into a hearing although neither party had raised the relevant issue.
Late last week the Florida Senate seemed poised to pass a bill that foreshadows adding “fetal personhood” to civil liability law. The measure would enable parents to sue for the wrongful death of a fetus, redefined as an “unborn child,” and seek money damages from the alleged perpetrator.
But a public outcry, mostly about a similar law in Alabama, forced at least a temporary delay. On Monday the bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, requested a postponement.
“It looks like our voices were heard,” said Kat Duesterhaus, legislative director of Florida NOW. She noted the bill isn’t dead this session, only shelved for the moment. The Legislature is set to adjourn on March 8.
Fetal personhood, which grants legal rights from conception, is the Holy Grail of anti-abortion zealots. It carries the promise of criminally prosecuting any pregnant woman or healthcare provider who destroys a fetus in the course of medical treatment.
“If you’re not worried about fetal personhood, you should be,” feminist author Jessica Valenti wrote in her “Abortion, Every Day” newsletter on Substack.