Our legislature is attacking women’s rights in Florida. House Bill 1047/Senate Bill 918, which vaguely claims to revise circumstances under which a pregnancy in the third trimester may be terminated, permits doctors to place the potential life of a fetus above the life of a woman.
This bill reduces women to walking incubators and lays bare the Florida Legislature’s belief that a woman’s true value is in her ability to birth and raise children. With HB 1047/ SB 918, the legislature asserts license to control women’s reproductive decisions about when or if we have a child. Gov. Rick Scott has a choice: He can either side with the legislators who strip women of control over our bodies, or he can stand with the powerful constituency of women voters in Florida and veto the bill.
The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that even when states prohibit third-trimester abortions, there must be an exception when a woman’s life or health is in danger. Florida’s new law prohibits doctors from considering whether the mental health and well-being of a woman seeking such an abortion is in danger.
The law also permits doctors to prioritize the health of the fetus over that of the pregnant mother. This bill is not about “protecting” anyone. Only the woman can truly know her situation or circumstances; therefore, the decision needs to be made by the woman and her medical provider without restrictions. The legislature is attempting to force labor on women but is not passing laws that would support the mother and child once he or she is born. If the legislature is really concerned about Florida’s children, it should focus on providing access to health care, public education and creating options for affordable child care. Instead they choose to focus on taking away a woman’s right to self-determination.
This bill will increase the already high barrier to a woman accessing a third-trimester abortion by prohibiting abortions once a fetus is viable — when it can survive outside of a woman’s body. Focusing on the potential fetus rather than the woman who carries it is anti-woman. Narrowing the window of time a woman can seek an abortion is just another move to weaken Roe v. Wade. This focus creates a questionable time period and will erode women’s rights even further with future changes in medical technology.
We will not stand by silently and allow yet another obstacle to be placed between women and our right to medical care. We demand self-determination for all women and girls, which includes the ability to terminate a pregnancy that we don’t want.
If Scott ignores Florida women now and does not veto this bill, he will face the anger of women across the state and at the ballot box as he attempts re-election. Scott needs to hear from you. Call and email him to demand he vetoes HB 1047/ SB 918. To find out more or to get involved contact us at nwl@womensliberation.org or 352-575-0495.
[National Women’s Liberation, Gainesville chapter steering committee: Betty Campbell, Brooke Eliazar-Macke, Regan Garner, Meggan Jordan, Meredith Kite, Stephanie Seguin and Kendra Vincent. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 5/29/2014 under the headline "Florida women seek governor’s veto"]
