Ron DeSantis Confirms He’ll Happily Sign Bill Banning Abortion After 6 Weeks

Ron DeSantis gets a lot of bad press for his wars on free speech, trans kids, Black history, gay people, drag shows, science, and anyone who dares to question anything he says—and with good reason! But it’s also important to remember that, in addition to all that, the Florida governor is extremely antiabortion too, and set to make his own views—that pregnant people should be forced to give birth against their own will—the law of the land in Florida.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, DeSantis said that he will absolutely sign a bill proposed by Florida Republicans today that would ban abortion after six weeks—a time when many people don’t even know they’re pregnant. “I’ve said…we’re for pro-life,” DeSantis told a reporter who asked what the chances are he’d sign the “heartbeat” bill. “I urged the legislature to work, produce good stuff, and we will sign.”

Abortion is currently legal in Florida up to 15 weeks of pregnancy so, obviously, reducing the window to six weeks would be significant. As abortion is effectively outlawed in nearby Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, Florida has become something of a safe haven for pregnant people in other states who must travel to undergo the medical procedure. The Florida bill has some exceptions—including in instances of rape or fetal abnormalities, and if two doctors “certify in writing that…the termination of the pregnancy is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life or avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman”—but, incredibly, “psychological condition[s]” don’t count. It’s not clear if being suicidal would fall under that umbrella but it sounds like it might. (The legislation generously states that if only one doctor is available to determine the risk of death or “irreversible physical impairment,” that physician’s sole recommendation would suffice.)

As Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said in a statement, the bill “means many pregnant people will never have the option to have an abortion. Moreover, between the 24-hour mandatory delay and two appointment requirements, even patients who realize they are pregnant before six weeks may be unable to access abortion care before they run out of time.”

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