Leftist activists erupt as Florida House passes abortion bill: ‘This is the right to life’

Republicans in Florida’s House of Representatives have chalked up a Pro-Life win by passing a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, but it didn’t come without a bruhaha and some liberal tears.

As five hours of debate on the matter finally neared its end, activists in the House gallery began chanting “my body, my choice,” and had to be forcibly ejected from the proceedings.

Outside, in the House plaza, approximately 50 more protesters gathered to oppose HB5, which lowers the permissible window to terminate a pregnancy by nine weeks, down from 24, and grants exceptions only “if the abortion is necessary to save a mother’s life, prevent serious injury to the mother or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality,” according to the New York Post.

Passionate debate from both sides of the aisle covered all the expected objections, including Republicans’ repeated refusal to add exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape, incest or human trafficking.

“As a woman it is my right to make decisions about my body and what is in the best interest of my family,” argued Democrat Rep. Robin Bartleman. “God forbid your 11-year-old is raped and pregnant and you find out after 15 weeks, you don’t get to get your daughter that abortion. That’s what this law says.”

Supporters of the bill argue that you simply can’t give up on life.

Republican Rep. Dana Trabulsy stated, “This is the right to life and to give up on life is unconscionable to me.” Trabulsy speaks from first-hand experience, having disclosed that she had an abortion and has “regretted it every day since.”

Florida is one of many state legislatures pushing for stricter restrictions on abortions.

As the Supreme Court gears up for a decision that could allow states to determine how or even if they allow abortions, many states, such as Florida, are modeling new legislation on the six-week ban enacted last year by Texas.

Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Florida have all introduced bills, with South Dakota Indiana, West Virginia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana and Oklahoma expressing interest in doing the same, according to a report last month from 19th News.

Laurie Sobel, the associate director of women’s health policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation believes the push for new legislation is the state’s way of anticipating the conservative-leaning SCOTUS’ eventual ruling.

“Everyone has the Supreme Court on their minds,” she said. “There are states that want to be set up on either side of that. If abortion is allowed to be banned at any point of pregnancy, or at 15 weeks. Whatever the ruling is, they want to be set up.”

While many Liberals on Twitter are grumbling about Nazis and misogynists following Florida’s vote, others are celebrating the win.

LifeNews.com estimates 5,000 babies will be saved as a result of Florida’s choice.

The bill will now move to the Republican-controlled Florida Senate.

Melissa Fine

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