Florida and South Carolina may be next to follow Texas' lead on fetal heartbeat abortion laws: Reese Witherspoon, Eva Longoria and Pink all criticize bill
Other right-leaning states - including Florida and South Carolina - may be the next to follow Texas' newly-implemented ‘heartbeat’ bill, as the new law drew criticism from U.S. celebrities.
Florida State Senator Wilton Simpson said in a Thursday statement that it could be 'worthwhile to take a look at the Texas law and see if there is more we can do here in Florida.'
Simpson was backed by Governor Ron DeSantis said, who said he'd mull a ban.
Texas Right to Live legislative director John Seago told Forbes that South Carolina was also considering an abortion bill.
The states - which like Texas both have Republican governors - could follow the lead of the ‘Texas Heartbeat Act,’ which took effect earlier this week and bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected at about six weeks gestation.
The Supreme Court upheld the ban Wednesday, and now states such as Florida and South Carolina are looking to follow the Lone Star State’s lead in restricting reproductive rights.
Swaths of celebrities are lashing out against Texas’s abortion law, ‘I stand with the women of Texas who have the Constitutional right to make decisions about their health and their own bodies,’ actress Reese Witherspoon told her nearly 3 million followers.
Celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon (left) and P!nk (right) are using their massive social media followings to condemn Texas' recent abortion ban
Added actress Eva Longoria Baston to her 6.8 million followers: ‘It’s pretty simple. We should all be able to make decisions about our health and future.
‘But between Texas’s extreme abortion ban and states passing a record number of abortion restrictions this year, we have to fight for everyone’s reproductive freedom.’
The ‘Texas Heartbeat Act,’ which took effect earlier this week, bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks, before a woman even realizes she's pregnant.
Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan dissented. The other justices - all appointed by Republican presidents - allowed the law to stand. From left: Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, Elena Kagan, John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Stephen Breyer, Amy Coney Barrett, and Sonia Sotomayor
The Supreme Court formally refused Wednesday to block the nation's most restrictive reproductive rights legislation took effect in the southern state.
The legislation makes no exceptions for rape or incest and allows Texans to report people, including Uber drivers, who help or take women to get abortions. The only exemption is if a woman's health could be jeopardized by carrying a baby to term.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who signed the legislation into law, told CNBC that Tesla mogul Elon Musk was in support of the state's 'social policies'
He said: 'Elon had to get out of California because in part of the social policies in California. Elon consistently tells me that he likes the social policies in the state of Texas.'
But the SpaceX relucted to publicly condemn the law, saying: 'In general, I believe government should rarely impose its will upon the people, and, when doing so, should aspire to maximize their cumulative happiness.
'That said, I would prefer to stay out of politics.'
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the legislation, which took effect Wednesday, into law
Tesla's Elon Musk is a fan of Texas' social policies, according to the state's governor
Wilton Simpson, Florida senate president, told reporters the legislation warranted exploring elsewhere, too.
‘Abortion kills children and forever changes the life of the mother, the father, and the entire extended family,’ Simpson said in a statement obtained by the Naples Daily News.
‘As an adoptive child myself, it’s important to me that we do everything we can to promote adoption and prevent abortion; therefore, I think it’s worthwhile to take a look at the Texas law and see if there is more we can do here in Florida.’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he, too, might be keen to criminalize abortions.
'What they did in Texas is interesting and I haven’t really been able to look at enough about it,' DeSantis told reporters. 'It’s a little bit different than how a lot of these debates have gone, so we will have to look. I am going to look more significantly at it.'
Democratic state Sen. Linda Stewart called calling Texas’ abortion ban ‘an intrusive and draconian restriction of women’s constitutional rights.
‘This is a direct attack on reproductive rights by leaders who care more about politics than the health and wellbeing of women,’ Stewart said in a statement. ‘That should make all of us willing to fight.’
Florida Sen. Linda Stewart said she opposed such a 'draconian restriction' in her state
Texas Right to Live legislative director John Seago told Forbes that South Carolina was also mulling an abortion bill.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Southeastern state made such an attempt.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster in February the ‘South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act,’ which have banned abortions once a heartbeat could be detected. Unlike Texas, it would make exceptions for victims of incest or rape.
Singer P!nk has also spoken out against abortion bans.
‘I stand in solidarity with people in (Texas) who, as of today, face an extreme 6-week abortion ban,’ she tweeted.
‘This ban... will be the blueprint for bans across the US. Unless we do something about it.’
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