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Just under seventy five thousand abortions were performed in Florida during 2021. Just six percent or about 45 hundred were performed after 15 weeks. Legislation reducing the time for legal abortions from 24 to fifteen weeks cleared a Senate committee along party line votes this afternoon. And as Mike Vasilinda tells us, efforts to add more exceptions to the 15 week ban failed.       

The hearing drew more people to the committee room than any time since the pandemic began. Sponsor Kelli Stargel told the crowd “The bill prohibits abortions after fifteen weeks.”

Nearly a hundred either waived in support or opposition to the bill.

Democrat Lauren Book tried to add an exception to the fifteen weeks for rape or incest.

“So victims keep quiet. They just don’t tell. For weeks, months, or years. 

It failed. Minutes after the vote, Samantha Deans, a Planned parenthood Doctor told the story of an11 year old who was raped by a family member.

“When her stomach began to show, her mother took her to a physician,. Who diagnosed her at twenty three weeks” said Bean, who also said the eleven year old said she did not want to be pregnant.

The hearing coincided with Catholic Days at the Capitol. So many wanted to speak, they were limited to thirty seconds a piece.

“The unborn child is a person with rights that should be protected under the law” said Rita Galliano. 

Dorothy Clark from the Villages was admonished for trying to show an ultrasound of her grandson. “No props please. Sorry about that..its the rules.”

And Kelly Flynn told the committee “This fifteen week abortion ban is just an excuse to continue stripping away our rights and make person decisions about our own pregnancies.”

Democrats gave up their time for debate to listen to more in the audience, which gave  Rachel Rapkin time to talk about safety.“Abortion is safer than continuing a pregnancy to term” she told the committee

The party line vote was expected.

If this bill becomes law, North Carolina will be the closest place Floridians can go to get an abortion after fifteen weeks

Democratic Leader Sen. Lauren Book says she will try again for the exception for rape or incest.

“At the end of the day it giving them a little bit more grace to decide what to do.” 

But Book also concede its going to be a hard sell to Republicans.

Of the 74 thousand plus abortions last year, just over forty-four hundred, or about six percent, were past the fifteen week deadline in the bill.