Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) remains vague about his stance on further restricting abortion in the state, but he recently hinted he would support a six-week abortion ban.
During a Thursday press conference following a special legislative session on Hurricane Ian relief, DeSantis was asked whether he is going to “take the lead” on a “heartbeat bill” in Florida. Heartbeat bills refer to abortion bans around the six-week point, when fetal cardiac activity is usually detected.
“I’m willing to sign great life legislation. That’s what I’ve always said I would do,” DeSantis responded without going into more detail.
Florida currently has a 15-week abortion ban in effect, which DeSantis and other Republicans pushed through the legislature earlier this year. What was initially seen as a big accomplishment for abortion opponents in the state is now a reminder that DeSantis hasn’t gone far enough in restricting abortion care since the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections this summer.
Over a dozen states have implemented severe restrictions or near-total bans on abortion since Roe v. Wade fell — and many anti-choice groups in Florida want to see similarly extreme legislation enacted in their home state.
“The 15-week abortion ban does not go far enough,” Andrew Shirvell, founder of Florida Voice for the Unborn, told HuffPost earlier this month. “We’d like a complete abortion ban in the state of Florida — similar to what Texas and Oklahoma, and several other red states have enacted … We would like Florida to follow her sister red states in completely prohibiting abortion.”
With a Republican supermajority in both chambers and a vocal anti-choice leader in DeSantis, it would be extremely easy to enact harsher abortion restrictions in Florida. But DeSantis’ expected 2024 presidential run is likely the reason for his inaction. On a national level, a six-week or near-total abortion ban may make him too extreme for many voters. But DeSantis will likely face a crowded far-right Republican primary pool, including former President Donald Trump — and he’ll need a more extreme ban on his track record to even compete.
Several Florida Democrats told HuffPost earlier this month that they expect DeSantis will definitely support more restrictions, it’s just a matter of when. Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner have said they’d like to further restrict abortion. Passidomo recently mentioned the possibility of a 12-week ban that would include exceptions for rape and incest survivors, which the current 15-week ban does not include.