Today Florida becomes the 18th state with a law in effect protecting unborn babies with beating hearts. The Heartbeat Protection Act, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on April 13 of last year, includes rape, incest, life of the mother and human trafficking exceptions and provides $25 million in recurring funding for pregnancy centers to support moms during pregnancy and beyond.
Polling conducted by Ragnar shows 62% of likely Florida voters supported the Heartbeat Protection Act. Support is highest amongst Hispanic voters at 76%. Sixty-one percent of Independents and 58% of women support the law.
Neesha Lewis, a Georgia mom and medical professional who says her state’s heartbeat law saved her son’s life, celebrated the Florida protection going into effect:
“Georgia’s heartbeat law saved my son’s life and blessed a wonderful couple in Florida with the perfect little family through adoption. Thankfully, now in their home state, more babies will be saved from the horrors of abortion and more families will have the chance to flourish. This law has allowed for my son’s heart to continue to beat strong and steady, while giving my heart more love and joy than I ever thought possible.”
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Charlotte Lozier Institute researchers Moira Gaul, M.P.H., and Michael New, Ph. D., estimate that approximately 160 pregnancy centers in Florida served more than 88,000 women, men and youth in 2022 and provided services and materials valued at over $20 million, typically free of charge, including over $11 million in medical services (see national survey data):
- 74,366 free consultations with new clients
- 59,689 pregnancy tests
- 34,794 ultrasounds
- 105,735 packs of diapers
- 62,650 packs of baby wipes
- 231,238 baby clothing outfits
- 1,776 car seats
- 3,997 strollers
- 1,389 cribs
- 20,148 containers of formula
- 20,894 clients received free parenting education
- 1,422 clients received free after-abortion support and recovery
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser warns that much work lies ahead in protecting children and their mothers from the California-style late-term abortion amendment:
“Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act is an enormous victory for women and children, set to protect 50,000 lives a year starting today, while it has already expanded critical support for Florida’s life-affirming safety net. These and other protections that the people of Florida greatly desire must be preserved from Big Abortion’s deceptive amendment to enshrine no-limits abortion in the state constitution.
“Gov. Ron DeSantis is right. The abortion amendment which would allow abortion throughout the second and third trimesters, eviscerate health protections for women, and remove parental consent is far too extreme for Florida. We must sound the alarm about the far-reaching implications of the abortion industry’s scheme to grow their profits at the expense of babies’ lives and the safety of women and girls.”
Florida is the only state with a pro-life law in effect guaranteed to have abortion on the ballot this November. Abortion activists are in the process of placing amendments on the ballot to eliminate pro-life laws in Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota.
