VERO BEACH, Fla. — The Indian River County commissioners didn't vote on a proposal banning abortions past 20 weeks.
Pro-life supporters of the proposal asked commissioners to sponsor the ordinance with a vote, but Chairman Joseph E. Flescher said the commissioners don't have the ability to approve it.
Flescher told the pro-life speakers that while he agreed with their faith-based arguments, the Supreme Court had decided the matter and the state had laws to consider as well.
According to state law, abortions are allowed up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy with late term exceptions made in emergency cases.
The proposal would have also require clinics in the county to provide women seeking to terminate a pregnancy with more information on possible alternatives and health effects despite the risk of in-clinic abortions being extremely low and similar to other gynecological procedures that take place in doctor's offices every day.