Beating back 28 amendments from pro-abortion committee Democrats, Senate Republicans approved SB 404,a bill which would require teenagers under the age of 18 to obtain permission from their parents or legal guardian before having an abortion.
“The bills are not identical, but Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, told reporters he anticipates the House will take up and pass the Senate version,” Christine Sexton of the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Earlier this month, in his Second State of the State address, pro-life Gov. Ron DeSantis said, “I hope that the Legislature will send me this session the parental consent bill that last year was passed by the House but not by the Senate.”
Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island said yesterday, “It’s not only the right of the unborn, but the right of parents to raise their children.”
Previously, sponsor Sen. Kelli Stargel said this was personal for her. Stargel became pregnant as a teenager and feared telling her mother:
“When I spoke to her, she actually advised (I have) an abortion,” Stargel said. “I didn’t go that direction. We had a discussion about it and when I told her I wanted to have my child she supported me. I think those same things may happen in a situation with other families.”
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In 1989, the state Supreme Court struck down the state’s parental consent law on the grounds that it violated a “right to privacy” in the state Constitution. However, since he became governor, DeSanctis has replaced three justices on the state’s highest court— Justices Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince—who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. They were replaced by Barbara Lagoa, Robert Luck, and Carlos Muniz.
LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. This post originally appeared in at National Right to Life News Today —- an online column on pro-life issues.
