The Florida legislature recently approved bill 1143, which would require ultrasound tests for pregnant women seeking abortions in the first trimester. Women would be required to pay for the ultrasound and to look at the ultrasound image or listen to a description of it, and if a woman’s insurance company accepts government money, her insurance won’t cover the procedure.

Now it is up to Gov. Charlie Crist to sign or veto 1143. But according to Stephanie Kunkel, the executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, the bill, “unlike all the bills approved in the last session, was not sent to Gov. Crist on May 21.”

Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, the majority leader in the House, did not respond to calls to explain the delay.

Floridians were asked about 1143 in an Ipsos Public Affairs poll of top issues debated in Tallahassee commissioned by The Miami Herald, the St. Petersburg Times, Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13. Ipsos asked poll responders if they believe Gov. Crist should veto this bill or allow it to pass into law. According to results published Monday by the Herald 55 percent of adults believe the governor should veto the bill. The poll also shows that Democrats (60 percent) and independents (72 percent) both support a veto, with Republicans almost evenly split (47 percent support a veto).

[Pic via flickr.com/photos/redjar]