Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby filed a bill on Wednesday titled the “Florida Heartbeat Act.” The legislation proposes banning abortions after doctors are able to detect fetal heartbeats.
The proposed Texas-style abortion bill put forward has ignited mixed reactions from anti-abortion activists and pro-life advocates.
News 6 analyst Steven Kramer examined how the bill could impact Floridians.
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“What’s been proposed in the Florida bill is distinct from what is going on in some other states, but what is going on from other states could directly affect whether this bill ultimately sees the light of day,” Kramer said.
Kramer said people should keep an eye on the landmark case out of Mississippi.
“If the Supreme Court rejects that Mississippi law then this Florida law is never going to see the light of day,” Kramer said.
The bill restricts abortions when cardiac activity can be detected in a fetus.
“This proposed bill is more restrictive than the Mississippi law, so what’s happening in the courts dealing with cases out of Mississippi and Texas is going to have a direct result of whether this law has any chance of becoming valid,” Kramer said.
Ultimately, Kramer said there is a lot at play with this proposed law before it can be enforceable.
“Just because the composition of the Supreme Court changes and you have justices that have now been appointed by Republican presidents, that doesn’t mean that the tenor of these cases is going to automatically shift, or that the Supreme Court is going to take a U-turn.”