FL legislature delays sending abortion bill to Crist as anti-choice groups organize.

[madfloridian]

It would be nice if our pro-choice groups would organize equally well, but not gonna happen. Here's the count so far.

Through Thursday, Crist's office had received 20,018 calls, e-mails and letters urging him to sign the bill, and 12,989 total messages urging a veto.

Read more: Abortion foes delay sending bill to Crist

There's time for our side to organize as they delay sending the bill.

TALLAHASSEE -- When he signs the state budget on Friday, Gov. Charlie Crist will be waiting for just one major piece of legislation from the 2010 session: a highly controversial abortion bill. The measure, which would require pregnant women in Florida to view a sonogram of the fetus, sits in a file drawer in the desk of House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, whose spokeswoman said there's no specific reason why it hasn't been sent to Crist.

``We just haven't sent it. There's no sense of urgency,'' spokeswoman Jill Chamberlin said.

Crist must act on a bill within 15 days of receiving it. The bill would take effect July 1.

Opponents speculate that House leaders are deliberately delaying to give bill supporters the most possible time to flood the governor's office with calls and e-mails. Todd Reid, staff director of the House Republican caucus, said the House is holding the bill ``to give pro-life folks time to get their act together and contact the governor.''

Here is more about the bill which Crist has pretty much said he will veto.

The bill began as a routine measure regulating nursing homes.

In the final days of the session, without public testimony in legislative committees, Senate Republicans added a provision requiring women in the first trimester of pregnancy to view an ultrasound image of the fetus and listen to a doctor describe the fetus before an abortion can be performed.

The woman must pay for the procedure, but can decline to see the sonogram if she signs a form or presents verified evidence of rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking.

Florida cartoonist Chan Lowe said it best.

[Orlandodem]

1. I've sent a couple emails. If anything, encouraging a Crist veto and ultimately getting it

will further anger the far right.

Let's go DUers!

Send another email if you've already sent one.

[e-mail]

Send this article to 10 people and send it to 10 more. Post on a pro-choice link on Facebook. Do whatever you can to drive a wedge into the right wing.

[madfloridian]

2. Pretty nervy of them...and they admit to doing it.

Caucus spokesman actually admitted it.

[madfloridian]

3. [e-mail]

Send him an email, Floridians. Don't let the anti-choice folks out-organize us.