Two controversial items are steaming through the Florida Legislature, and both bills are expected to become law.
Later this week, Florida state senators are expected to vote on restricting abortions to 15 weeks.
Pro-choice advocates have lobbied against the bill in Tallahassee, with some already resigned to the notion that the ban will likely become law.
“It is completely devastating,” said Annie Filkowski, the policy director with Planned Parenthood.
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“I think we’ve done all we can with getting abortion providers, experts, family planning doctors, patients, young people, advocates out in front telling their stories, I don’t think it has been listened to,” she said.
The bill does have exceptions to the ban in order to save a mother’s life, prevent serious injury, or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality.
There are no exceptions for victims of rape, incest or human trafficking.
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“We do understand the position, but it is still a human life,” said Anthony Verdugo with the Christian Family Coalition Florida. “There’s still an option to adopt, to put them up for adoption, but before that, I would say that they can still have an abortion before the 15-week timeframe."
Another bill moving through the legislature is striking a nerve with many in South Florida’s LGBTQ communities.
It's called the Parental Rights in Education bill, but opponents mock it, dubbing it the “don’t say gay bill.”
One clause in the bill reads “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3, or in a manner that is not age-appropriate…”
Many Republican lawmakers insist that curriculum in early grades not include content about sexual orientation and gender identity.
Those matters, they say, should be discussed at home and not in school.
People who oppose say the law say it would discriminate against LGBTQ people.
“It sends a terrible message to our youth that there is something so wrong, so inappropriate, so dangerous about this topic that we have to censor it from classroom instruction,” said Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat who is gay.
Republicans enjoy the majority in Tallahassee, and typically get what they want.
The item has already passed the State House. The State Senate is expected to follow suit.
