Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly signed legislation Thursday that would ban most abortions after six weeks in Florida, a move that will weigh on his likely 2024 presidential bid.
DeSantis said as far back as last month that he would sign the measure shepherded through the GOP-dominated Legislature, even as most public polling indicates a ban on abortions at six weeks of pregnancy is unpopular in both political parties.
The Florida law bans abortions at six weeks but creates new exemptions for rape and incest up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. It does not change existing exemptions for life and the health of the mother up to 15 weeks.
DeSantis signed the measure just hours after the Legislature passed it Thursday afternoon. But he didn’t announce publicly that he did so until after 11 p.m.
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” the governor said in a statement. “I applaud the Legislature for passing the Heartbeat Protection Act that expands pro-life protections and provides additional resources for young mothers and families.”
The lack of fanfare around the legislation underscores how tricky abortion politics are for Republicans after the 2022 midterm elections — when Democrats hammered the GOP on the issue nationally — and specifically for DeSantis as he weighs seeking the GOP nomination for president.
The latest polling on the proposal by the University of North Florida in late February found that 75% of state residents either somewhat or strongly opposed the six-week ban, including 61% of Republicans.
It’s the latest step by Republicans reducing access to abortion in Florida. Last year, DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature that is currently before the Florida Supreme Court. The six-week ban will be on hold until the court rules on that proposal.
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that there was no constitutional right to an abortion, Florida has become a place people throughout the Southeast come to for abortions as other states in the region banned them.
The number of women seeking abortions in Florida from other states increased from 3,988 in 2020 to 6,708 in 2022, according to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration.
The abortion fight will no doubt take center stage as the Republican presidential primary contenders try to wade through the issue's murky political waters. Being anti-abortion is a must for any candidate trying to win a Republican presidential primary, but being seen as going too far can be toxic in a general election.
Florida’s proposed six-week ban quickly attracted the attention of the White House, a clear signal President Joe Biden sees it as a useful political grist against DeSantis, whom he has been publicly feuding with for months.