Republicans in Florida were set to pass an "unborn child" bill further eroding women's rights in the state — but after national outcry over a far-right decision in Alabama that effectively outlawed in vitro fertilization, they are slamming the brakes.
According to the Daily Beast, "The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Erin Grall, requested a vote scheduled to be held Monday in the Florida Senate Rules Committee be postponed. In an emailed statement to the Tampa Bay Times, she explained, 'Although I have worked diligently to respond to questions and concerns, I understand there is still work that needs to be done. It is important we get the policy right with an issue of this significance.'"
The bill would give Floridians the right to sue over the wrongful death of an unborn fetus. According to the ACLU of Florida's Kara Gross, “As the bill is currently written, nothing is preventing an abusive partner or rapist from bringing a lawsuit for damages against a healthcare provider or friends and family members of the individual who had an abortion.”
This comes after the Alabama Supreme Court provoked national outrage with a ruling that frozen embryos have the rights of human children — which effectively renders in vitro fertilization care impossible in the state. The ruling was laden with Biblical rhetoric, and Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker has voiced his support for the Christian nationalist "Seven Mountains Mandate" calling on evangelicals to seize control of all power centers of government and society.
Florida was already one of several states to sharply restrict abortion following the Supreme Court's nullification of the Roe v. Wade standard in 2022.
A citizen-led ballot initiative to restore abortion rights in Florida has gained momentum for a 2024 vote. However, the state Supreme Court, loaded with Republican appointees, is currently deciding whether that amendment is allowed to qualify, and even if it does, it would need to get 60 percent of the vote or more to become adopted.
