Senate panel approves ultrasound abortion bill

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Senate Health Regulation Committee approved legislation requiring ultrasounds prior to first trimester abortions on a largely party-line, 4-3 vote April 8, with one Democrat supporting the bill and one Republican in opposition.

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Sponsored by Sen. Daniel Webster (R-Winter Garden), a member of First Baptist Church of Central Florida in Orlando, a similar bill, HB 257, was approved by the Florida House of Representatives on April 2.

“Now, if you’re afraid of the facts or afraid of the truth than you’re going to hide that. I don’t want to hide it; I want it to be available,” Webster said of ultrasounds that vividly show the growing life in the womb.

Noting that Florida’s informed consent law already requires ultrasounds be performed on pregnant women and girls seeking abortions in the second and third trimester, Webster rhetorically asked, “what’s the difference between the last six months and the first three? It’s just a matter of where that fetus in the development is. And this is an opportunity to see first hand. … This is better information than a piece of paper.”

Rejecting testimony of an opponent of the legislation, Webster said he was not seeking a legislative legacy, but “just trying to do good public policy.” Webster is serving in his final session in the Florida Senate, barred from seeking reelection by term limits.

Speaking to the committee in opposition were representatives of Florida Planned Parenthood, Florida National Organization for Women, and an abortion provider in Gainesville.

Stephanie Kunkel of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates told the committees only 5 percent of Florida’s more than 95,000 annual abortions are performed in the second and third trimester.

“While we applaud Sen. Webster for wanting his legacy to be a reduction in the number of abortions performed, Senate Bill 2400 is really misguided,” Kunkel said.

Jessica Lowe with Florida National Organization for Women said the bill’s provision requiring rape victims to provide documentation of their sexual assault in order to waive the ultrasound requirement will further traumatize women.

“This bill will make their traumatic event even more traumatic because they are going to have to pay for an unnecessary ultrasound and view that ultrasound when they are trying to make this very difficult decision and recover from what was a difficult event in their life,” Lowe said.

Mary Raum, an Ocala obstetrics and gynecology doctor who performs abortions, protested the bill as a “political and ideological effort to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship, mandating procedures not considered the standard of care and ultimately to legislate medicine.”

She added, “While the authors of this bill would simplistic say that viewing an ultrasound is going to change minds, they are insulting women by implying a woman considering abortion has not approached the decision with reflection, tears and even prayers. This bill is intended to punish not protect these women.”

Sen. Dennis Jones (R-Seminole) said that the state’s budget crisis, concerns about patient confidentiality and opposition from medical professionals determined his decision to vote against the bill.

Jones’ fellow Republicans, Sen. Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey), Sen. J.D. Alexander (R-Winter Haven), and committee chairman Sen. Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach) supported the bill.

Meanwhile, Sen. Gary Siplin (D-Orlando), broke with his fellow Democrats, Sen. Dave Aaronberg (D-Greenacres) and Sen. Alfred Lawson (D-Tallahassee) in supporting the bill.

Noting he and his wife were impacted by seeing the ultrasound image of their first child, Alexander said Florida’s 95,000 annual abortions statistics is “a staggering number. Nobody wants to intervene into individuals’ lives, but I do believe that life begins at conception and that the state has a compelling right to make sure folks understand what they are doing.”

The next stop for Webster’s bill is the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.