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State House members today gave tentative approval to a measure that would require women to make two visits to a doctor and wait at least 24 hours in between before having an abortion. As Mike Vasilinda tells us,  efforts to require men to wait 24 hours for a vasectomy were ruled out of order.

Women seeking an abortion must already have an ultrasound and counseling on  the procedure. Now sponsor Jennifer Sullivan (R-Lake County) wants to add a second visit and 24 hours between the ultrasound and an abortion.

“A lot of women are pressured into having this procedure. Those women, especially that are my age that have their entire future ahead of them, perhaps their education, their career” says Florida’s youngest lawmaker (23).

The measure says the visits must be in person  despite a burgeoning telemedicne movement. Sullivan says personal visits are warranted. “I think that this procedure is very different than many others and that’s why I would take this stand that I have.”As initially written, even women who were raped, or victims of incest or human trafficking would have to wait. That changed. Rep. Rene Plasencia (R-Orlando) offered the amendment. “They must present a physician’s copy of a restraining order, a police report, a medical record or other court order or documentation” says Plasencia.

Democratic Leader Rep. Mark Pafford (D-West Palm Beach) argued the amendment didn’t go far enough. “Your amendment would not cover those women, 68 percent, who do not report, who do not have that documentation” says Pafford.

Plasencia responded: “You can;’t just walk in and say that you were raped or say that you were a victim of domestic violence. You have to have the documentation.”

Signify by saying yeah! Yeah!

Sponsors made it clear they were only offering the rape, incest, or human trafficking amendment to give the legislation a chance in the Senate,. For many, including Rep. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) the concession wasn’t enough.

“We need to trust women and if they say they were a victim of it, we need to believe them” said Berman before voting no.

An amendment to require men to wait 24 hours before having a vasectomy was withdrawn, after it was ruled out of order.”

A final House vote could come on Wednesday.

Opponents pointed out that some women in rural counties could be faced to drive up to two hundred miles round trip for the consultation and then have to repeat the trip the next day.’