After the Republican-led state legislature voted and passed the controversial Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality Act (HB 5) during the 2022 legislative session, Gov. Ron DeSantis followed through with his pledge to sign the anti-abortion bill into law.
At a press conference at the “Nacion De Fe” church in Kissimmee, Gov. DeSantis addressed the media and several hundred attendees, railing against the “Far-left of our political spectrum” who he asserts are advocating for “infanticide.”
“They are now taking the position that babies can be aborted up to the 9th month,” said DeSantis, adding that HB 5 would “provide protections for unborn children from abortion”
“Life is precious and children are a God-given gift,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “That is why House Bill 5 is so important, as it provides added protections for the unborn child. Governor DeSantis and I remain steadfast in our commitment to defending the sanctity of innocent human life and protecting the unborn.”
State Rep. Erin Grall (R), who sponsored the legislation in the House of Representatives and whose sister testified at the event about her past abortion, spoke to The Floridian about the “bold step” the legislature took to champion her historic legislative measure.
“I’m proud that Florida is willing to take such a bold step. Its’ exciting that we are finally acknowledging that late-term abortions cause real pain and can be avoided,” said Rep. Grall.
Rep. Grall added that the “Science” points to the fact that babies in the womb feel pain and dismissed the narrative that abortion is a woman’s issue.
“You hear Science, Science, Science from the other side, and the science now supports that these children feel pain, that unless we interfere with their life, their life will continue for us stepping in,” said Grall. “It scares the other side because they attribute this issue to a women’s issue, and I think wrong. I think that narrative has always been wrong and I don’t think that any version of equality that women should feel tied with ending life.”
Grall continued, accusing pro-Abortion advocates like Rep. Eskamani of keeping “women in the dark” by advocating against a mandatory First Term ultrasound for pregnant women.
“Part of the desire to keep women in the dark about the fact that they are actually growing a human being within their body and if you don’t ever see a picture of what’s growing in your body, then its easier to dismiss it as something that is just a clump of cells as opposed to something that is a living being that will eventually be born,” added Grall.
Grall’s colleague in the Florida House, Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R), said that “every child deserves the opportunity to live,” echoing what DeSantis said about how babies before the 15 weeks can feel pain.
“The facts are the facts, and a baby before 15 weeks is fully-formed. Facts show the baby can feel pain. That child is a life, an innocent life that deserves to be protected,” said Rep. Persons-Mulicka.
But just as Florida Republicans praised the bill's signing, their Democratic counterparts were quick to counterpunch and pan the bill.
Rep. Anna Eskamani (D), who has openly supported every form of abortion, including late-term abortion, dismissed DeSantis and accused him of “spreading disinformation on abortion.”
“Governor spreading disinformation on abortion -- not how abortion care works & his rhetoric is designed to lie to ppl & shame those who make the decision to end a pregnancy. This along w/24 hour mandatory delay will create serious barriers for people who are already marginalized,” stated Rep. Eskamani.
The Florida Senate Democratic Caucus released statements from several of the group’s pro-Choice female members.
Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book went as far as to say that DeSantis has “forced the women of Florida back 50 years” with his law.
“With the stroke of a pen, Governor DeSantis has forced the women of Florida back 50 years by robbing them of the reproductive rights established by our nation’s highest court in Roe vs. Wade,” stated Leader Book.
Senator Tina Polsky called the bill signing “a dark day for women’s rights.”
"I am so disappointed and saddened to report that the Florida Legislature has denied a woman’s right to choose her own medical care after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The state should not be invading the privacy of this very difficult decision a woman may need to make for herself and her family. The arbitrary cutoff of 15 weeks will render all fetal testing done after that mark futile as the woman may no longer make decisions for herself. This is a dark day for women’s rights,” stated Sen. Polsky.
Here are what several other Democratic senators said about DeSanti’s abortion law:
Senator Janet Cruz—
“Over and over again this session we have seen this body proposing solutions to problems that do not exist. We’re trying to fix imaginary problems instead of the problems of real Floridians. My constituents want solutions for overcrowded classrooms, their inability to pay rent, the rising cost of insulin and other prescription drugs. This bill does not create jobs or raise pay, it does nothing to help our working families get ahead or help our small businesses struggling with inflation and supply chain issues. What this bill does is put politicians and the government between women and their access to healthcare. I I firmly believe that everyone should have the freedom and right to make private medical decisions – and that includes the decision to have an abortion, a decision which should be made between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her faith, and this legislation destroys those freedoms”
Senator Lori Berman—
"HB 5 is a dangerous, extreme and unconstitutional abortion ban stripping away women’s reproductive rights with no exception for rape, incest or human trafficking. Women will now be forced to travel out of state or resort to risky and potentially fatal back-alley abortions, regressing us back five decades. Abortion should remain safe, legal and accessible. Women should be trusted to make decisions with whomever they choose, whether their family, their doctor and/or their clergy. I urge the Governor to veto this bill to ensure we don’t move Florida backwards."
Senator Annette Taddeo—
“We are less free today than before the session started. As Latin American countries like Colombia are moving forward and expanding access to healthcare, we’re moving backward in Florida. Governor DeSantis has just signed into law an extreme bill that was made even crueler by the rejections to provide exemptions for victims of rape, human trafficking, and incest. The government has no business making decisions that should be made by a woman in consultation with their doctor and their family. The conservative values of freedom and limited government that the Governor claims to fight for, have gone right out the window when it comes to a woman’s choice about her own body. Our state is worse off for it.”
