Florida Senate committee passes 15-week abortion ban bill

Florida's controversial 15-week abortion ban bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, the final stop before it heads to the full Senate chamber for a vote. House lawmakers voted to pass the bill Thursday. If it ultimately passes in the Senate, the bill will head to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk for final approval — an almost-certain bet, as the governor has already called the bill "reasonable" and "supportive of protecting life." The legislation bans abortion if a doctor finds the gestational age of the fetus is more than 15 weeks. Exceptions are allowed if the woman's life is considered to be in danger or if the fetus is considered to have a "fatal fetal abnormality." As it stands, the bill does not allow exceptions for rape or incest, though Democratic lawmakers did propose amendments in an attempt to change this.