The beat goes on: What to know about Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act

The Sunshine State paves the way to protect 50,000 lives a year.

May 01, 2024

In a landmark victory for women and children, Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act takes effect today. What that means:

50,000 babies a year will be protected from abortion violence when their hearts are beating.
Florida will no longer be the abortion tourism destination of the Southeast.
The will of 62% of Florida voters, including 76% of Hispanic voters, 61% of Independents and 58% of women, is being honored.
As we previously covered in our Florida fact check, the law makes exceptions for danger to the life of the mother, fatal prenatal diagnosis, rape, incest, and human trafficking situations (which together made up less than 1% of all reported abortions in Florida in 2023).

President Biden was in Tampa last week campaigning against the new law, in a bizarre appearance that saw the president make the sign of the Cross during a pro-abortion speech. Vice President Harris is in Jacksonville today making her latest stop on the abortion fearmongering tour.

Abortion lobby dumps “safe, legal and rare”

Local sources report that Florida’s abortion businesses have been “rushing to perform as many abortions as possible” before today. Just think about that for a moment. Abortion businesses are also “frantically” calling no-shows and pestering them to hurry and come in, says The Washington Post.

Planned Parenthood estimates that the average cost of an abortion ranges from $580-$800 in the first trimester to as much as $2,000 later in the second trimester. Each time a woman walks away, they lose revenue. No wonder they’re in a rush.

Media Bias Hall of Shame: “Where will women go?”

One of the most egregious articles we’ve seen, even by biased media standards, asked:

While abortion activists got free rein to complain about “having to scale down or turn people away” if they don’t take in more money, not a single pro-life voice was included – nor a single word about Florida’s network of pregnancy resource centers or the $25 million in recurring funding lawmakers have allocated to help them expand services to more women.

Florida’s pregnancy centers offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, medical exams, counseling, parenting classes, financial classes, and resources such as food, diapers, clothing, and financial assistance for housing and utilities. Services are typically provided free of charge.

Charlotte Lozier Institute researchers Moira Gaul, M.P.H., and Michael New, Ph.D., in collaboration with Care Net, Heartbeat International, and National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, conducted the first national survey of pregnancy resource center data of the Dobbs era. In 2022, they estimate, approximately 160 pregnancy centers across Florida served more than 88,000 women, men and youth and provided services and materials valued at over $20 million, including over $11 million in medical services:

74,366 free consultations with new clients
59,689 pregnancy tests
34,794 ultrasounds
168,385 packs of diapers and/or baby wipes
231,238 baby clothing outfits
1,776 car seats
3,997 strollers
1,389 cribs
20,148 containers of formula
20,894 clients received free parenting education
1,422 clients received free after-abortion support and recovery

And those are just the highlights.

Marjorie and other members of the SBA team got to see some of these efforts up close recently while touring Divine Mercy House maternity home in Jacksonville (the type of place Vice President Harris ought to visit during her stint in town, but more than likely won’t):

When the majority of women who have abortions wish they had the emotional support or financial security to keep their babies, this information is vital – and the choice to omit it, shameful. Do better, journalists.

Neesha’s story: Heartbeat protections “saved my baby’s life”

Neesha Lewis, a mom and medical professional in neighboring Georgia, credits her state’s heartbeat protections with saving her son:

A friend at church connected her with a whole network of resources in Georgia to support women facing unplanned pregnancies before, during, and after the birth. One of these organizations was Abiding Love, an adoption agency that works to support birth mothers through an open adoption… As the process started, Neesha faced an incredible hurdle when she was laid off from her job. The Abiding Love team never left Neesha’s side and assisted her financially so that she could focus on her health and her family.

Abiding Love serves Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Neesha selected a family from Florida to be her son’s adoptive parents. Today she has a loving relationship with them and her 10-month-old little boy.

“Even though I didn’t plan for this pregnancy, even though I didn’t have a plan in place, there were people who did,” Neesha said. “There were people who were waiting for his arrival. There were people who already loved him before they met him. There were people ready to embrace him. There were people ready to conquer everything with him no matter what…I love my son so very much. The heartbeat law not only saved his life, but it blessed another family’s life.”

Neesha's story: Read more

Leadership matters: The DeSantis difference

Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom often square off as polar political opposites. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, too, travels the country as a Biden surrogate and pushes his fortune around to influence the abortion policies of other states. Another blue state wants into the competition – New York. Via Politico:

Lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul quietly agreed to a $25 million fund that provides grants to [abortion funds] — creating a new program that was first considered in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade two years ago.

While New York is funneling millions in taxpayer dollars to the abortion industry, under DeSantis’ leadership, Florida allocated precisely the same amount to strengthen the life-affirming safety net for women and families.

To us, there is no question about which state is more supportive of life and family. To keep it that way, it is vital to defeat Prop 4, the extreme abortion amendment, this November.

This historic day marks an enormous victory in the human rights battle of our time. We celebrate the boys and girls who will live because of Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act and the ways they will bless their families, friends, and communities.

America After Dobbs