This year, more than usual, a group of Florida lawmakers are clinging to a Biblical-sounding principle — and doing their best to ensure that the wages of sin are, at the very least, misery.
Too bad they skipped the rest of that Romans verse, which rejects that doom with a new promise of redemption and grace. Instead, some lawmakers seem to be focused on making errant Floridians pay, with their financial security, their health, their freedom or even their lives if it comes to that, for acts that self-righteous leaders deem to be products of lascivious behavior.
As usual, the list of evils leads off with a medical procedure that is never directly condemned in the Bible — and is arguably even sanctioned in Jewish texts when a pregnancy threatens a woman’s health. It’s worth noting that this year’s assault on abortion conveniently overlooks the many faith-based warnings against deceptive, misleading speech: It pretends to give pregnant women who suffer miscarriages the right to sue anyone they believe triggered the loss of their fetus. But in reality, the legislation (SB 164/HB 289) goes much further — treating very early pregnancies, or even fertilized eggs, as full human beings.
That’s chilling, considering that roughly 20% of pregnancies result in miscarriages, and some experts say the actual rate is probably higher, since many women mistake losses in the early stages of pregnancy for late menstrual periods. Now, every one of those losses could devolve into a legal blame-slinging contest.
But it gets worse: If this bill becomes law, the right to sue would be extended to both presumptive “parents” of the fetus. That may seem fair — but among people gaining rights would be potentially malignant ex-spouses, or men who forcibly impregnated women through coercion, rape or incest — leading reproductive freedom advocates to call it the “abuser’s bill of rights.” The legislation would prohibit suits against the woman who miscarried or any “medical provider” who treated her, but the web of liability could certainly entangle family members who helped a woman access abortion services, or nonprofits that offer counseling. The only limits would be in the imaginations of trial attorneys.
Women can already file suits against people who, through acts of violence, cause a pregnancy to terminate. This legislation is a transparent attempt to further underscore the idea that any union of sperm and egg instantly becomes a person — and takes precedence over its host body’s wishes or needs.
No help for prevention
Some people would say that the best way to stop abortions is to prevent unwanted pregnancies. And one might expect any society that claims to value children so highly to be extra-vigilant about protecting minors from the devastating consequences of having sex too early, without the knowledge of how to protect themselves. But the Legislature is also considering two bills that strike hammer blows at protections for young teens. The first (SB 1090) contains numerous provisions that are troubling (including what appears to be a substantial ban on any materials that “advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion,” as if those were bad things) but one of the most alarming would strip sex education from students’ curriculum unless their parents agree in advance that they can participate. And it would force those classes to include the viewing of graphic anti-abortion and anti-contraception material.
That bill would also block access to information about preventing sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, unless parents consent. And that’s extremely concerning, given that a separate bill (HB 871) would require minors to have parental consent before receiving treatment for any sexually transmitted disease.
It’s hard to imagine the cruelty that went into dreaming this one up: It still protects the privacy of teens who want to be tested for STDs, but for those who test positive, only a parent can open the door to treatment that might save their health, their ability to have children in the future, or even their lives. In a perfect world, teens would go to their parents immediately with those concerns, but this world is not perfect. Some teens have a valid fear that their parents won’t help, and might even punish them. The bill is most vicious to children whose infections came from parental abuse.
Breaking down access
Children aren’t the only ones who will suffer from a lack of resources. A bill underway in the House (HB 693) would gut reproductive services in many Florida counties by blocking Planned Parenthood, and potentially other reproductive-health providers, from receiving funding from the state’s Medicaid program. The organization, which strives to provide services to anyone who needs them, would almost certainly have to reduce hours or possibly even close clinics. That would be a devastating blow, particularly for rural Floridians. And it’s utterly pointless — Medicaid money cannot be used to pay for elective abortions, but taking away access to affordable birth control only guarantees that more women will be snared by unwanted pregnancies.
So far, most people will have no trouble seeing where the real sins lurk this session: It’s in the callous indifference of lawmakers who want to capitalize on their “moral” efforts to increase the number of Floridians who will be denied care they need, or exposed to increased risks of poverty and abuse.
But there’s one more measure, so drenched in judgmental venom that it is barely imaginable. As part of an attempt to make up for a shortfall in infectious disease funding, the Florida Department of Health is planning to remove thousands of people living with HIV or AIDS from a Medicaid-backed program that helps them afford lifesaving medication.
Imagine how those people felt, learning by a coolly impersonal letter that they could be losing access to the drugs that keep them alive, as soon as this month. Like other cuts here, this move isn’t just cruel. It’s fiscally ridiculous. “If these cuts go through, you’re going to have sicker people and you are going to have more HIV infections, which is ultimately going to cost the state a lot more money,” Esteban Wood of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program told the Florida Phoenix. Restoring this funding should be a no-brainer for the Legislature. Withholding it would be a no-hearter.
The best thing we can say about this last provision is that it might just shock lawmakers into an understanding of how much damage their heartless judgementalism can do, especially against Floridians who are simply struggling to live their lives quietly and responsibly. They don’t need traps, restrictions and deprivation — they need the freedom, information and access to care that will enable them to make the best decision for themselves and their families. And that’s the truly virtuous path for lawmakers to follow.
The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Executive Editor Roger Simmons and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Use insight@orlandosentinel.com to contact us.