TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It’s likely a long shot, but Florida Democrats are determined to push forward with a repeal of the state’s controversial six-week abortion ban. The proposed bill, which aims to restore protections based on fetal viability—approximately 24 weeks—faces long odds, given the state’s Republican supermajority and strong opposition from the GOP.
Abortion was a key issue for Florida Democrats in the November election. While they didn’t perform well across the ballot, a statewide abortion initiative to protect viability came close to passing, garnering about 57% support—just shy of the 60% threshold required to amend the state constitution. That majority, however, still carries weight, and lawmakers behind the new bill are hopeful it signals strong public support.
Sen. Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) stressed the importance of the effort in a Wednesday press conference.
“We are not politicians,” said Davis, who is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate. “We are public servants, and we hear the call of all women.”
The bill, SB 870, is a straightforward repeal of the six-week ban, seeking to return Florida to a standard based on viability—similar to pre-Roe v. Wade protections. The proposal would allow abortions up to 24 weeks, which was the legal precedent in the state before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022.
“The majority of us, if we become pregnant, will not realize that at six weeks,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando). “And so the current state of affairs forces us to make very difficult decisions because of political interference.”
However, with Republicans holding supermajorities in both the House and Senate, passing the bill is unlikely, especially with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) having been one of the loudest critics of the 2024 repeal effort.
After the November vote, Florida Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Bartow) was dismissive of future legislation based on failed ballot issues like abortion or recreational marijuana.
“At the end of the day, what happened, happened. I’m happy with what happened. Both failed,” he said. “And as for me, bringing up either of those issues in this body is a no.”
Governor DeSantis, who has fiercely opposed any rollback of the state’s abortion restrictions, criticized the ballot initiative’s vagueness, calling it "too vague and unsafe." He also noted the difficulty of reaching the necessary 60% threshold in Florida during an August roundtable.
“They've got the 50 in these other states,” he said. “They need to get 60 here. So this is an opportunity, if this is something that you believe in, that you can really make an impact on.”
Despite the significant GOP resistance, the bill is now officially filed and awaits action in the upcoming legislative session, which begins March 4. The state legislature will likely consider over 800 bills, with only a few hundred making it through the process.
Whether this bill will even be given a hearing remains to be seen, but for now, Florida’s abortion debate is far from over.
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