For Immediate Release: April 13, 2023
Contact: Kelsey Pritchard, [email protected]
Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Heartbeat Protection Act to Save Lives and Aid Moms
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis this evening enacted the will of Floridians by signing Senate Bill 300 into law to save tens of thousands of lives of babies with beating hearts and provide $25 million to support moms during pregnancy and beyond.
According to a poll conducted by Ragnar, 62% of likely Florida voters back Gov. DeSantis’ signage of the Heartbeat Protection Act. Support is highest amongst Hispanics at 76%. Sixty-one percent of Independents also support the measure as well as 58% of women.
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser celebrated the victory:
“This historic day marks an enormous victory in the battle for human rights. No longer will Florida account for 10% of abortions in the nation or be known as an abortion destination. More moms who need financial and emotional support will get the help they need during pregnancy and after their child is born. Most of all, tens of thousands of precious boys and girls will live and have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, bless the lives of others, and enhance Florida’s communities.
“We thank Gov. Ron DeSantis for following the science and the will of the people by signing the Heartbeat Protection Act into law. It is thanks to his leadership and the leadership of pro-life state leaders throughout the country that we are seeing incredible momentum in the states to protect unborn lives. Gov. DeSantis has always been a bold pro-life voice, never flinching in the face of extremist opposition in order to stand proudly in defending Floridians. That’s why he, Florida’s Republican legislators and Attorney General Moody saw such overwhelming victories in the mid-term elections last year, and why the state of Florida is a shining example to others in the Dobbs era.”
Dr. Kathi Aultman, a former abortionist who lives in Jacksonville and serves as an associate scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute, shared her reaction:
“After performing hundreds of abortions, I know without hesitation that abortion after six weeks stops a beating heart. The cardiovascular system is the first organ system to function, and at this stage of development, the heart beats around 110 beats per minute. Research has shown that if a heartbeat is detected, a baby has more than a 90% chance of surviving to birth.
“I wish this kind of protection had been in place when I chose to have my abortion. It would have saved my child and saved me a lifetime of regret.”
SB 300 establishes protections for unborn babies with a heartbeat (beginning at six weeks’ gestation) and allocates funds for pregnancy centers to serve more women both during pregnancy and after a child is born. Florida’s pregnancy centers offer free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, medical exams, counseling, parenting classes, financial classes, and resources such as food, diapers, clothing, and financial assistance for housing and utilities. SB 300 expands the types of programs that can be funded to include employment and educational resources and broadens participant eligibility to include adoptive families. The bill also provides for exceptions including rape, incest, human trafficking, and life of the mother, and does not allow the mailing of dangerous abortion pills.
Data from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration indicates that 95% of more than 82,000 abortions in Florida last year were sought for “elective” or “social or economic” reasons.
Pro-life momentum in Florida mirrors legislative efforts in Nebraska where the unicameral legislature voted yesterday to end a pro-abortion filibuster of similar heartbeat protections. Polling shows 58% of likely Nebraska voters support protecting unborn children with heartbeats, including almost two thirds of Independents, a majority of young women, and nearly half of Democrats.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
Charlotte Lozier Institute was launched in 2011 as the education and research arm of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. CLI is a hub for research and public policy analysis on some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and nations around the world. The Institute is named for a feminist physician known for her commitment to the sanctity of human life and equal career and educational opportunities for women.
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