Black female lawmakers walk out of Florida House over racial arguments made for abortion bill
theGRIO REPORT - House Bill 845, which passed in the Florida House of Representatives by a margin of 71-44 that day, stipulates that a doctor performing an abortion must sign an affidavit confirming the abortion was not performed based on the race or gender of the fetus...
Bill co-sponsor offers an apology
Florida House Republicans concerned with improving life for African-Americans should focus on “prevention, intervention and education” in “high crime areas” to “help families that have a low income have access to good and quality education,” Rouson said.
Bill co-sponsor Rep. Keith Perry (R-Gainesville) sent a note of apology to Rouson, although he stands by the statements he made on the House floor along with Van Zant.
“What I did was speak some facts about percentages of abortion that are performed, and the ratios [for black women] far exceed the norm of the population,” Perry told The Huffington Post. “And I’m not saying the facts are wrong, because they weren’t, but the way it was presented, it certainly offended [members of the black caucus].”
Rouson accepted Perry’s apology, calling it genuine and “a statesman[like] thing to do.”
Planned Parenthood denies accusations
The statistics presented by Perry and Van Zant have been disputed by Planned Parenthood in addition to the Guttmacher Institute.
“Florida legislators should stop playing politics with women’s health care and work toward common sense, compassionate solutions that expand access to care and create stronger, healthier families,” Judith Selzer, the vice president for public policy of Planned Parenthood said, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Planned Parenthood also issued a release stating the organization “opposes racism and sexism in all forms” and “condemns sex selection motivated by gender or racial bias.”
“Disproportionately high abortion (and unplanned birth) rates among women of color are the direct result of their higher rates of unintended pregnancy, which in turn reflect economic and social inequalities that are widespread and pervasive,” Wind also stated.
She suggested that, “[a]ntiabortion activists ignore these systemic inequities,” which also impact numerous other areas related to health for black women.
Third abortion bill to pass within days
Committees of the Florida State Senate have yet to review the Senate version of Van Zant’s bill. If the bill is signed into law, Florida will become the fifth state to make it illegal to seek an abortion based on gender, and the second to do so based on the race of the fetus.
The Florida House also passed HB 759Â on Thursday, which would make it a separate crime if a fetus at any stage of development is harmed during a violent act committed against the mother.
On April 17th, the legislative body passed a bill making it mandatory to provide emergency medical care to an infant born alive during an abortion.
“It just drives me crazy that so many of these bills are brought up by men,” Rep. Richard Stark (D-Weston) said, according to an MSN News report. “We have no idea what it’s like to be pregnant.”
Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb.
