In the face of aggressive efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Florida Republicans to protect life in the womb, the Florida Senate’s top Democrat wants to ensure the state’s abortion mills thrive.
State Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, a Broward County Democrat, recently filed two bills that would affect efforts by pro-lifers to convince pregnant women to choose birth over abortion.
One of Book’s bills would establish a 150-foot buffer zone around healthcare facilities. Her bill would criminalize picketing or protesting within that area. Violators could be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor, the maximum penalty for which is a fine of $500 and 60 days in jail.
The state of Florida recognizes abortion clinics as healthcare facilities.
In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Massachusetts law that created a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion clinics. Since then such rules have been left to the states. According to a recent Reuters report, federal courts are now hearing challenges to state-imposed buffer zones that extend between 10 feet and 100 feet.
“Women deserve access to legitimate and trusted reproductive healthcare services, and the freedom to safely receive care without fear of misinformation, harassment, or harm,” Book said in a press release.
“It’s long past time for Florida to prioritize women’s health, protect the safety of doctors and patients, and ensure that public funds are directed toward accurate and accountable healthcare services.”
Book’s other bill would crack down on what she referred to as “fake reproductive health clinics called crisis pregnancy centers.”
Book’s measure would restrict the materials that the crisis centers provide to women to “medically accurate” information. In addition, they centers would be forced to give women information on nearby sexual assault crisis and treatment centers.
Read: Rep. Matt Gaetz Speaking At Florida Freedom Summit Says “I’m Just Getting Started”
The pregnancy outlets also would face annual audits and unannounced visits from the Florida Department of Health.
Book justified this by saying her bill would expose “deceptive practices in these state-funded anti-abortion facilities that exploit women without accountability.”
In response to Book’s bills, Bonnie Cannone, president of Abolish Abortion Florida, told the Florida Standard, “It doesn’t surprise me that Lauren Book wants to stop people from trying to convince women against murdering their children. Of course, if our ‘pro-life’ legislators were to actually criminalize abortion murder under existing homicide laws, we would no longer need sidewalk counselors.”
Book did not say anything about the practices of those on her side.
Crisis pregnancy centers were prime targets for thugs after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in June 2022.
According to Human Life Review, between May 2022, when the first report that Roe might be overturned, and November 2022, at least 39 churches, 60 crisis pregnancy centers and medical clinics, and 23 other pro-life targets faced vandalism, bomb threats, and death threats.
The Biden administration has done little to hold people accountable for these acts, while the feds have routinely sought to punish pro-life activists, including with long prison sentences.
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