Fla. Legislature Set to Pass Ultrasound Law

Florida lawmakers are expected to pass a new law requiring women seeking an abortion get an ultrasound, which passed last year but was vetoed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported Monday.

This time around, Gov. Rick Scott is expected to sign the bill, making Florida one of several states poised to institute a new ultrasound law – a move backed by conservative lawmakers.

Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are the only states now that mandate ultrasounds before an abortion. Last year, 20 states considered legislation similar to the one now being considered in Tallahassee.

The ultrasound requirement is part of a new, aggressive nationwide campaign by anti-abortion activists who hope to capitalize on big Republican wins in the 2010 midterm election.

"It could be the most conservative Legislature in modern times," said Florida Family Policy Council President John Stemberger, one of the state's leading social conservatives and a veteran of the state's culture battles for nearly three decades.