The Florida Senate today passed the dangerous, unnecessary and regressive 6-week abortion ban, SB 300. Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie) joined her Democratic colleagues to debate against the bill. Below are highlights of Leader Book’s remarks from today’s floor session:
The facts:
“Despite the fact that the majority of Floridians are pro-choice, this body has chosen to force an extremist agenda to essentially ban all abortion in our state. Despite hearing from doctors who affirm what we already know to be true – that no matter how hard you may wish or pray it away, abortion is truly health care. Despite the fact that most abortions after 15 weeks occur because women — mothers — have found out about devastating health and genetic challenges facing their very wanted pregnancies.
Despite of the fact that doctors pleading with us – explaining that in order to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, they cannot even perform abortion care until 5 weeks, when a gestational sac can be seen on an ultrasound – meaning women and girls have just a one-week window to get 2 appointments, take 2 days off work, perhaps to obtain childcare, to get transportation, and to secure the funds needed –when 73% of Florida counties don’t even have abortion clinics.
Despite all this, you are still choosing to push this dangerous, extreme agenda.”
On consent:
“You don’t care about privacy, or medicine – or science – or truth – or even freedom. Because you are choosing to give sacs of cells — a yolk — more rights than living, breathing women and girls.
Not just equal rights – more rights!
You see, if I needed my mother’s blood, even if I would die without it – I would need her consent. If I needed her bone marrow or her kidney, even if I would die without it – I would need her consent. You’ve passed organ donor laws to ensure even the deceased have more rights over their bodies than women and girls.
You are choosing to discriminate against women on the basis of sex, because only women are being forced to give their body to someone or something else without our consent.”
On the future:
“In the course of just 2 generations, we’ve seen our rights won and lost. But it’s up to each and every one of us to get them back. No one is going to save us but ourselves. So we must stand up – and we must unite. We must donate to abortion funds and support clinic escorts and healthcare professionals – and we must work to make things different. Because abortion is health care. And because women deserve to be equal and free.”
SB 300 passed the Florida Senate on a 26-13 vote. It now heads to the House floor.
