The Florida Legislature, controlled by Republicans, has passed a bill that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on the same day, which is considered a political victory for him among Republican primary voters as he plans for a possible presidential run. However, the six-week ban will only go into effect if the current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge before the state Supreme Court, which is also controlled by conservatives.
The law has implications for abortion access throughout the South following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year to leave decisions about abortion access to states after overturning Roe v. Wade. The legislation has exceptions for cases where the woman's life is at risk, and for abortions resulting from rape or incest until 15 weeks of pregnancy. Democrats and abortion-rights groups have criticized the bill as extreme, arguing that it would prevent millions of Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks.
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