Mike Hill proposed SB 235 in March but wasn’t given a hearing
Florida Representative Mike Hill is coming under fire after he has come out to say he had a little bit of divine inspiration for his new anti-abortion bill[/tweetit] that he plans to reintroduce to the Florida Legislature. This isn’t the first time Hill has attempted to put an anti-abortion measure into place. Just this past session, Hill put forth a bill that received twenty co-signers, but the bill was never given a hearing.
“God Spoke To Me” -Reintroduce Anti-Abortion Bill This Time Without Rape and Incest Exemption Says Florida Rep.[/tweetthis]
Contained within the bill were provisions that would ban abortions any time a doctor detects a fetal heartbeat. This would prevent abortions from happening after about six weeks in many cases, a time when some women aren’t even sure that they are pregnant.
Mike Hill has even held an anti-abortion rally where he churned up a little more information about his inspiration and the provisions that he plans to include. At the gathering, Hill said that he had received a message from God to file the bill again after it failed.
“As plain as day, God spoke to me,” Hill said. “He said that wasn’t my bill, talking about the heartbeat detection bill that I filed. He said that wasn’t my bill.”
Hill is referencing the fact that the bill had provisions in it that were designed to help it get passed. Those provisions allowed women to get abortions in cases of rape, domestic violence, and several other situations. However, given that Alabama has recently made such a law that forbid abortions with no exception for rape, domestic violence, or anything else, it is clear that Hill felt embolden by the action.
However, it was very unusual for Hill to claim that the will of God is directing his policy. While the people he spoke to might have cheered for his bill and the way he found the confidence to re-file it, it might not be given such a favorable reception across the state.
I'm going to fight like hell to kill this bill.
RT if you'll fight for women's rights with me. ??♀https://t.co/C772pXhA3K
— Nikki Fried (@nikkifried) May 24, 2019
After his bill attacking women's reproductive choice failed this session, this Florida Rep said he wants to introduce it again- WITHOUT exceptions for rape or incest
This is an assault on women’s autonomy and fundamental rights to control our own bodieshttps://t.co/ImtyKMMKr7
— Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@DWStweets) May 25, 2019
The revision and re-filing of the bill are both pending now, but it’s not clear what kind of support Hill is going to receive by his fellow legislators. He claimed he had enough to pass the original bill, but this new one is a lot less palatable to people, and it is most likely going to be pushed quickly by the state’s Republican legislators in appeasement to their Christian base and get it to Brett Kavanaugh.