Florida's ban on abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy takes effect

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy officially went into effect on Wednesday.

The new legislation replaces an existing law which banned abortions after 15 weeks that has been in effect since July 2022, shortly after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade -- the landmark ruling that enshrined federal abortion protections across the country for half a century.

The ban has exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking for up to 15 weeks of pregnancy with patients required to show documentation such as medical records or a police report.

Vice President Kamala Harris blamed former President Donald Trump for the "dangerous ban that will harm millions of women."

"And today, this very day, at the stroke of midnight, another Trump abortion ban went into effect here in Florida. As of this morning, 4 million women in this state woke up with fewer reproductive freedoms than they had last night," Harris said during a visit to Jacksonville for a campaign event.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said it is "one of the cruelest, most extreme, most dangerous" abortion bans in America.

Stressing that the ban leaves millions of women across the southeast without options, Schumer added: "We won't stop fighting for reproductive rights."