Florida: Lawmakers move forward with near-total abortion ban

[NCTraveler]

Florida lawmakers are moving forward with a near-total ban on abortions in the state plus a second bill placing new requirements on doctors who perform abortions.

By an 8-3 vote Monday afternoon, a House criminal justice panel voted to advance the more sweeping piece of legislation (HB 865), which would make performing an abortion or operating an abortion clinic a first-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Just hours earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court reiterated its long-standing ruling affirming women's right to the procedure.

"The bill recognizes that both the mother and the baby are citizens of the state of Florida… and we are therefore compelled to protect their lives," said Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights, the bill's sponsor.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/lawmakers-move-forward-with-near-total-abortion-ban/2262748

Institutions fighting for women's rights need all of our support. Always have. We are under assault.

[FLPanhandle]

1. Idiots.

This will be struck down by the US Supreme Court and they will waste millions in legal fees.

Conservatives just hate women.

[Iliyah]

2. Thats why voting matters.

Damn, I'm so tired of conservatives making women's choices. It sucks.

[jeff47]

7. It's also why party leadership matters.

Maybe if the leadership would stop lining up behind Republicans who just switched party affiliation, and actively fighting the base, we might do better.

[d_legendary1]

18. Thanks Jeff!

No one in this state is gonna to vote for turn coats. I'm tired of people telling us that we need to turn out the vote when the problem happens to be voting in people who already screwed us over with a D next to their name.

[certainot]

33. anyone in fla wanting to protest this and any other rw republican bullshit

here are 5 universities that would be good places to do it, because these universities support 20 limbaugh stations.
if one station does 15 hours a day of pro republican bullshit every day and each hour was worth $1000, that's about $3,900,000 x 20 stations or $78,000,000 in free republican anti-abortion and planned parenthood bullshit and election advertising every year using the logos and mascots of those schools.

rw radio is essential to everything modern republicans do. if just one of these unis was pushed to look for apolitical alternatives to broadcast their sports on, others would be shamed into following. an exodus of advertisers and long deserved bad publicity re issues like this would doom those stations and republicans would lose some of their most important allies. politics in fla would look very different by next november.

those schools have no excuse and all it would take is some petitions and protests to scare the advertisers away.

there are more than 90 major unis providing the same despicable support for 260+ limbaugh radio stations.

[kristopher]

44. +1

[MissMillie]

3. Because a living, breathing woman...

...loses her Constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness the minute she becomes a human incubator.

[drm604]

4. Will these fools ever get the point?

How much taxpayer money is wasted by them tilting at this windmill? They are knowingly and deliberately passing unconstitutional laws. Don't they take an oath to follow the constitution?

[cstanleytech]

21. Whats to say that this isnt their plan? Sure it will cost the tax payers money but they dont care

because it does not come out of their own pockets and it gives them alot of free PR to show their base that they are (supposedly) pro life so really in their minds its a win for them even though they know the court will likely strike it down.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Another Legislation By Judiciary

The Supreme Court just refused to hear the case to uphold a less restrictive law than this. So, these idiots have decided to just throw the red meat out there, and let the courts sort it out, when anybody with a lick of sense knows this won't past constitutional muster.

[awoke_in_2003]

25. That is why we have to vote for the candidate

in November, regardless of whether it is our first choice or not.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Never Intended Otherwise

I see the difference between R's and D's.

[awoke_in_2003]

36. Sorry, didn't mean to sound

as if I was implying that you wouldn't.

[ProfessorGAC]

39. No Worries

I figured you didn't. Just was being clear that i am not one of the "take my ball and go home" voters.

[dsc]

38. unless by the time this case is heard

one of the four liberal retire and is replaced by an Alito. Then it would pass muster pretty fast.

[RKP5637]

6. Florida Legislature, always working hard to make peoples lives miserable

however they can.

[Johonny]

8. Conservatives pass laws that make life better for no one

that's what they run on, that's what they do, and their voting base love them for it.

[Atman]

9. How can it be a felony to perform a LEGAL procedure?

I don't get it.

[NCTraveler]

11. I believe it goes like this.

They put this legislation into place. A party feels injured and takes it to court. Republicans us Floridians tax dollars to fight the lawsuit while we use funds we much come up with on our own. Instead of fighting to expand rights they force us to use our resources fighting things like this. In the end winning the lawsuit isn't possible for them. They know it. They tie us up in court fighting what they already know to be unconstitutional, using our resources along the way.

[KentuckyWoman]

19. And their lawyer friends make a shit ton of money off the taxpayers

sorry for my language..... just burns me up.....

[cstanleytech]

22. I was thinking the same for a moment but if its a lawyer that already works for the state

and is already drawing a salary I dont think that is likely to happen.
More likely its being done for the free PR of them supposedly being pro life that it will provide them while it makes its way through the courts for the next few years and come the next election they will point to it and say "See, we really are pro life so dont forget to vote for us".

[LeftyMom]

29. Close. They get to hire expert witnesses and consultants on the state dime.

It's a form of wingnut welfare for the anti-woman right. The same "experts" get called again and again in these cases. They get to collect fees, they get a platform for their nonsense, and the constant cases and law changes get a lot of women confused about what the hell the law actually is. (For example, the rate of teenage girls who think they need parental notification/consent in states where they do not is upsettingly high.)

[d_legendary1]

20. But that's not all

They also use this fruitless venture to point out that the courts are filled with baby killing liberals. Remember when Rick Scott tried to amend the Florida Constitution in an attempt to stack the Florida Supreme court with his lackeys? What's to say that he won't do it again? Or some other Republican asshole down the future? It seems that these attacks have some endgame in mind: turning our system of laws into kangaroo courts.

[hay rick]

31. It's unconstitutional.

It may not get through the full house and probably won't get through the senate. And if it does become law it will be struck down by the courts. But they don't care.

[Odin2005]

37. This is electoral pandering.

Shit like this keeps the Religious Right voters angry and feeling "victimized".

[Atman]

10. Meanwhile, Florida has the worth health care, the worst services for the needy, the worst everything

Go on and have your babies...then we won't feed them or clothe them or provide shelter for them...because we are so pro-life.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Wasting time and money. Federal law Trump's state law

[Archae]

13. The "hearing" on this bill was a farce.

FL anti-abortion hearing turns racist: ‘White culture’ dies if women are ‘outside the home not having babies’

A Florida state House subcommittee heard testimony on Monday that the “white culture” would be destroyed if white women were “outside the home not having babies” while other ethnicities had a higher birthrate.

During a House Criminal Justice Subcommittee meeting on Monday, lawmakers discussed HB 865, a bill that would ban all abortions except in cases where the health of the mother was at risk.

Republican Rep. Charles Van Zant, who sponsored the bill, argued that life began at conception, and that even zygotes were “citizens of Florida.”

While testifying about the bill, an anti-abortion activist named Paul injected race into the discussion.

“We see the destruction we’re bringing upon ourself as a nation,” Paul opined. “The Muslims, they don’t kill the babies.”

Paul noted that “white people” did not “live on an Island,” and that “the Mexicans” would propagate faster because they did not practice abortions.

“Their race is through the breeding of having families, children,” he explained. “And what happens is once you see the condition we’re in, we’re destroying ourselves and destroying our families, we’ve accepted something in this country that the Creator — that we’re going to pay for.”

“You don’t see us as a culture, as a white culture, pushing this agenda of abortion, women outside the home not having babies, everybody getting more and more and more?” Paul asked the lawmakers. “We’re a sick nation and if we don’t repent then the people leading our government, you are legislating morality by the laws you pass.”

“You are legislating religion and morality by the laws that we pass as a people, and it’s destroying us as a nation.”

In conclusion, Paul thanked the lawmakers and added: “It’s either repent or perish America. That’s the way it is.”

The subcommittee passed the bill by a vote of 8-3. If the bill becomes law, anyone performing abortions or operating an abortion clinic could be punished with up to 30 years in prison.

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/fl-anti-abortion-hearing-turns-racist-white-culture-dies-if-women-are-outside-the-home-not-having-babies/

[rladdi]

14. With Governor Scott being a charged and convicted 14 time felon out of Texas, he is running

on dangerous ground. I suspect the DOJ would step in quick and stop these decisions.
I continue to find it interesting that the Republicans are so interested in saving unborn, yet they fight health care for the living. Seems like a huge conflict to me. They don't care about the living, but they do the unborn. Is this what being a Christian or Conservative is?

[NoMoreRepugs]

15. they're Republicans - don't u get it?

Love the fetus - hate the child.
Love the soldier - hate the vetaran.

[geretogo]

27. Exactly

[steve2470]

16. what a waste of Florida taxpayer money and THEIR time!!!

It will be struck down by the SCOTUS. Stupidass Republicans.

[smirkymonkey]

17. What a ridiculous waste of time and money.

There is no limit to their hatred for women, is there?

[kwolf68]

23. So.....

Next stop....trying to stop a natural abortion (called a miscarriage). If the fetus is a PERSON, then the medical community can be held in contempt if it doesn't try to 'save' the fetus.

[lark]

24. No deed is too low for FL while Scott is governor.

He's the 2nd worst governor in the US. Snyder takes the cake for his decision to switch Flint to water which caused massive lead poisoning in children, but Scott's right behind him and is probably jealous that Snyder managed to injure so many poor people. 1 - Hope tis doesn't prevail, but it most likely will. 2 - Hope the SCOTUS throws this out. I'd think it violates FL own right to privacy law so maybe even the FL court will throw it out, but somehow I doubt that will happen.

[geretogo]

26. So this is what it's like being a women in Iran . God is great , right Governor !!! Secular laws be

dammed . Florida , Iran's theocratic twin .

[greymattermom]

28. so when will the medical boats start

It's only a few miles off shore.

[libodem]

30. Idiots

You can bet that Mosquito born disease causing microcephaly will hit there first.

What a buch of closed minded bastards they are to force women to bear children they know will be intellectually and behaviorally disabled. Or for any woman to not have that right for any reason.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

32. This is why I hate politicians that think it should be left up to the state to decide on the matter.

This is one of the reasons the UNITED States of America is great.

[Proserpina]

34. Yeah, Can't Have all those post-menopausal women in Florida exercising their right to choose

over the few that are still fertile....

[greymattermom]

40. So what happens when the zika virus arrives?

Florida will be one of the first states to have zika infected mosquitos. Florida better be increasing the budget to care for handicapped children.

[LiberalLovinLug]

41. Getting closer...

[Vinca]

42. So where do Florida lawmakers plan to build the first state-funded orphanage?

[eggplant]

43. Meanwhile... http://www.fundabortionnow.org/

http://www.fundabortionnow.org/

Because the right to abortion is meaningless if you can't afford one.

North Florida Justice Fund
904-399-2800 ext 133
http://www.fundabortionnow.org/funds/the-north-florida-justice-fund

Central Florida Women's Emergency Fund
http://cflwef.org/

W.O.M.E.N.
813-973-8524

Roe Fund
941-567-3800
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppswcf/

Emergency Medical Assistance Inc.
561-271-5164
http://www.emawpb.org/

Broward Women's Emergency Fund
http://www.fundabortionnow.org/funds/broward-womens-emergency-fund

Women's Emergency Network
305-670-2266
http://www.wen-online.org/

[Bernin]

45. The only way

to stop this garbage is for the Supreme Court to also take on a punishment role.
Once you start locking these "lawmakers" up for violating their oath of office to uphold the constitution by passing unconstitutional trash like this.
It will stop over night.

[AgadorSparticus]

46. Doesn't surprise me. Florida has always been a backwards state.

....with the WEIRDEST shit coming out of it, I might add. To be fair, for awhile there, Arizona was giving it a run for its money. But, no. In the end, it's Florida. It's always Florida.