| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 20, 2020 |
CONTACT: Mallory Quigley [email protected] |
Popular Measure to Protect Young Girls Advances to Governor DeSantis’s Desk
Washington, D.C. – Today the Florida House of Representatives passed legislation to require consent from a parent or legal guardian prior to a minor receiving an abortion. The legislation, which was approved in the Senate earlier this month, also increases the penalty for providers who refuse to comply with the state’s requirement to provide care for infants born alive after failed abortions. State Senator Kelli Stargel (District 22) and State Representative Erin Grall (District 54) championed the legislation in the Senate and House, respectively. Governor Ron DeSantis has promised to sign it into law.
“We thank Senator Stargel and Representative Grall, both members of our National Pro-Life Women’s Caucus, for advancing this important legislation to protect young girls facing an unexpected pregnancy,” said SBA List State Policy Director Sue Liebel. “In addition, we are thankful to Governor DeSantis for supporting this commonsense legislation which is supported by a majority of Florida voters. In the Sunshine State, a young girl needs a parent or guardian’s approval before she gets a tattoo, but she can undergo an invasive, often dangerous procedure without any input from mom or dad. Parents ought to have the right to protect and support their young daughters.”
Polling in 2019 found that 73 percent of Florida voters – including 60 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Independents, and 58 percent of self-described pro-choice voters – support legislation to require parental consent before a minor girl can get an abortion (only 27 percent oppose). The same poll also found that 76 percent of Florida voters support a law prohibiting late-term abortions in the state.
SBA List is a network of more than 837,000 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.
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