Senate President Mike Haridopolos says it's highly unlikely that legislation aimed at making it harder for women to get abortions is going anywhere this year.
Haridopolos' comments followed the Republican-controlled Senate's failure to get the two-thirds vote required to pull the bill out of committee. It would have required a 24-hour waiting period, a requirement for abortion doctors to get continuing education in ethics and a provision that would limit ownership of new abortion clinics to doctors who had received training in abortion-related procedures.
The Republican-led House passed the bill (HB 277) on a 78-33 vote largely along party lines last Thursday.
Gov. Rick Scott signed several bills last year that make it more difficult to obtain abortions, including one that requires women to undergo ultrasound tests beforehand.
