Florida's Legislature passes a 6-week abortion ban
Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he would sign it into law.
Florida’s Republican-dominated Legislature passed a ban on most abortions after six weeks Thursday, sending the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has said he would sign it.
Final passage came after a marathon floor hearing in the state House, which passed the proposal largely along party lines in a 70-40 vote after the Senate passed it on April 3.
Democrats in the chamber forcefully opposed the legislation but were vastly outnumbered by Republican supermajorities in both chambers. GOP House Speaker Paul Renner had to close the public viewing galleries after protesters threw what appeared to be paper onto the House floor.
It capped off what has been a hugely contentious process to pass the legislation, SB 300, which DeSantis has signaled support for, but it puts him in a tricky political position. He is considering a 2024 bid for president, but most public polling shows a six-week abortion ban is unpopular among both political parties.
