'A world without abortions has never existed...' Locals react to Gov. DeSantis signing of 6 week ban

Record ID: 1720072

  • Title: 'A world without abortions has never existed...' Locals react to Gov. DeSantis signing of 6 week ban
  • Date: 14th April 2023
  • Summary: MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 14, 2023) (REUTERS) YARELIZ MENDEZ-ZAMORA SPEAKING WITH LOCALS ABOUT POLICIES THE FLORIDA IMMIGRATION COALITION SHARING POLICIES WITH LOCALS SOUNDBITE (English) FLORIDA IMMIGRATION COALITION FEDERAL LEDE, YARELIZ MENDEZ-ZAMORA, SAYING: "I am Miami, born and raised. This is the state that I have always lived in and I call this place home
  • Embargoed: 28th April 2023 22:06
  • Keywords: abortion desantis florida laws women rights womens rights
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002517814042023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law that bans most abortions after six weeks, setting the stage for abortion access to be drastically curtailed in the state and across the U.S. South.
    DeSantis signed the legislation late on Thursday night after lawmakers in the state's Republican-led House of Representatives approved it with a 70-40 vote. The bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 26-13 on April 3.
    "We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida," DeSantis said in a statement.
    The legislation makes exceptions for abortions in cases of rape, incest and when the mother's life or health are at serious risk.
    Backing more severe restrictions could carry political risks for DeSantis, who is expected to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2024.
    Local resident and Florida Immigration Coalition leader, Yareliz Mendez-Zamora faulted Governor DeSantis's efforts in thinking about the Florida people.
    "We have a governor who is more focused on running for president than he is on figuring out what is the best way to help Floridians prepare for every single crisis that we're confronting," Mendez-Zamora said.
    Abortion has emerged as a potent political issue in the U.S. since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, with polls showing that support for abortion rights helped Democrats outperform Republicans in November's midterm elections.
    Florida organizations that help women are not giving up and continue to provide support to the counties. South Florida organization, The Women's Emergency Network focuses on ways to allow women to seek abortion and cover travel costs.
    The Women's Emergency Network board member, Monica Skoko Rodriguez told Reuters, "Our duty and mission is to help the people of South Florida to exercise their right to reproductive choice and to decide when and if they want to become a parent or to have children and to access the health care they need to support that decision."
    Rodriguez also works with Planned Parenthood and sends the message that even with this ban, they will continue to fight for women's reproductive rights.
    "I want to be clear that Women's Emergency Network will continue to provide services to everyone in the South Florida area that needs to access abortion, contraception and the associated travel funding," she said.
    The fate of the ban will depend on the outcome of a court challenge to the state's 15-week abortion ban, which abortion providers have argued violates the state constitutional right to privacy.
    If the Florida Supreme Court rules that the 15-week ban is constitutional, the six-week ban would take effect 30 days later.
    Patients from across the U.S. Southeast have been traveling to Florida to end their pregnancies since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted federal abortion rights. Most other states in the region have already banned the procedure at early stages of pregnancy.
    "I urge folks not to give up on Florida... I want to say, here in the state of Florida is you can not expel hope," Mendez-Zamora said. "We will always be here. A world without abortion has never existed."
    (Production: Maria Alejandra Cardona)
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