Florida’s next legislative session will be one of the most closely watched in the nation as several hot-button issues will be on the table. Probably the most debated and impactful will be that of abortion. Last session, Florida lawmakers passed a new 15-week abortion ban.
The Florida law prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow exemptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking.
Violators could face up to five years in prison. Physicians and other medical professionals could lose their licenses and face administrative fines of $10,000 for each violation.
State Representative Randy Fine told a group of local republicans that should he be re-elected, the 6-week ban will be the primary focus of his goals in the next session. Fine has been very vocal on the issue in the past as he is in most every controversial bill.