DeSantis: Criminalizing women for getting abortions ‘will not happen in Florida’

by Nick Robertson - 09/13/23 9:26 PM ET

FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. The fate of abortion rights in Florida is at stake Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 when the state Supreme Court takes up a challenge to a law banning the procedure in most cases after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which will determine whether an even stricter six-week ban signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis can take effect. (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File) — FILE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. The fate of abortion rights in Florida is at stake Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 when the state Supreme Court takes up a challenge to a law banning the procedure in most cases after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which will determine whether an even stricter six-week ban signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis can take effect. (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday that he does not support criminalizing abortion in his state.

“We have no criminal penalty,” he said in a CBS News interview. “The penalties are for the physician.”

Florida’s six-week abortion ban is not in effect, pending a lawsuit, but would enable the state to pursue felony charges against “any person who willfully performs or actively participates in a termination of pregnancy,” it reads.

DeSantis said those penalties would be for medical providers, not women seeking care, saying he is “absolutely not” in favor of criminalizing abortion for women and that it “will not happen in Florida.”

The presidential candidate has not said whether he would support a national ban similar to his state’s pending six-week law, or the current 15-week law.

“I support pro-life policies,” he said. “I’ll be a pro-life president. But at the same time, I’ve got to chart the course and be honest with people about, OK, how do you advance the ball like we did in Florida? And the way you do that is really bottom-up.”

Abortion has proven an important issue on the 2024 GOP campaign trail. While all GOP candidates consider themselves to be anti-abortion, some have endorsed national bans, while others have not.

Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and former Vice President Mike Pence are among the candidates who have said they would back a national 15-week abortion ban.

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Tags 2024 GOP primary abortion ban abortion rights Florida Mike Pence Ron DeSantis Tim Scott