Even though Republicans have controlled all branches of state government in Florida since 1998, ascendant Republicans campaigning in 2010 argued to a barely aware electorate that they were needed to be elected to "change" state government – and that they are doing after just a month's work in Tallahasssee. Though the emphasis last fall was on getting Floridians back to work, lawmakers have found plenty of time to turn the clock back on social legislation, since with one party government it's only moderates that will be able to
But the best (or worst) is yet to come. All it really took in many cases to change some of the things that the GOP has wanted to do was get a more conservative chief executive, and they were going to get one who fit that bill whether it was Bill McCollum or Rick Scott last November. It happened to be Scott, but Bill McCollum would just as easily be signing legislation that Crist rejected a year ago, such as anti-abortion rights bills that may be coming to his desk soon.
As has been reported, no fewer than 18 bills that would limit abortions in Florida have been filed this year, and as the Tampa Tribune's Jerome R. Stockfisch reports today, the Senate Health Regulation committee Monday narrowly (7-5) voted to advancea bill that would require women seeking abortions to undergo an ultrasound and have the fetal imagery described to them.
The bill would require the ultrasound to be performed by the physician who is to perform the abortion or by a specialist working in conjunction with that physician. The physician must "contemporaneously review and explain the live ultrasound images" before the patient can consent to the abortion.
It requires a description of the fetus including the various stages of development. Any woman could opt out of viewing the image, but not the physician's description.
There is an opt-out provision for victims of rape, incest, domestic violence, human trafficking or if the pregnancy is a serious medical risk.
The bill has one more committee stop, as does an identical bill in the House. The same bill passed both chambers of the Legislature last year, but was vetoed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist.
Stockfisch also reports that of those original 18 bills introduced regarding abortion this session, five are still alive in various committees.
Meanwhile, last week Orlando area Democratic Representative Scott Randolph was reprimanded by Republicans last week for having the audacity to utter the word "uterus," with him being lectured that such “language that would be considered inappropriate for children and other guests.” That action has led the ACLU now to create a website called Incorporate My Uterus, and got Representative Randolph a booking last night on The Rachel Maddow Show:
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.