Ron DeSantis of Florida prepared to run for president last spring, he gathered anti-abortion activists in his Capitol office for an unusual bill signing, held late at night and behind closed doors.
Florida lawmakers had just approved a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a major policy shift that would sharply restrict access to the procedure for women in neighboring states as well as for Floridians.
For Mr. DeSantis, the move seemed like something that would play well among some Republican presidential primary voters in states like Iowa.
But this was Florida, and public opinion polls suggested broad opposition to such a strict law.
So Mr. DeSantis, who typically crisscrosses the state to sign bills, enacted the six-week ban in April 2023 with little fanfare, part of a headlong push into cultural conservatism meant to bolster his national campaign.
Persons:
Ron DeSantis, DeSantis
Locations:
Florida, Iowa