Allowing “dismemberment abortions” is not the proper interpretation of the state constitution, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said on Thursday following news of a Florida judge blocking the state’s 15-week ban on abortion.
Leon County Judge John Cooper temporarily blocked the ban, which went into effect on Friday, July 1.
“Florida passed into its constitution an explicit right of privacy that is not contained in the U.S. Constitution. The Florida Supreme Court has determined in its words ‘Florida’s privacy provision is clearly implicated in a woman’s decision on whether or not to continue her pregnancy,'” Cooper determined.
DeSantis signed the 15-week abortion ban in April, making it clear that the Sunshine State is committed to defending “those that can’t defend themselves.”
“We did have a ruling in Tallahassee effectively enjoining the bill that we provided. … We knew that that was likely going to be what was decided in that case. We knew that we were gonna have to move forward and continue the legal battle on that,” DeSantis said during a Thursday press conference, noting that the decision was not “unanticipated.”
“It was not of course something, you know, that we were happy to see. And when you talk about — these are unborn babies that have heartbeat, they can feel pain, they can suck their thumb. And to say that the state constitution mandates things like dismemberment abortions — I just don’t think that’s the proper interpretation,” he continued, adding that there will be an appeal.
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