TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida’s strictest abortion ban to date is one step closer to the governor’s desk.

A bill shrinking the state’s current 15-week ban to six weeks cleared its last committee stop in the Senate on Tuesday. The committee room was so jam-packed with advocates from both sides it took most of the day to get to a vote.

The bill reduces Florida’s current 15-week abortion ban to six weeks — with exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks.

“The legislation before you today is a beacon of hope that life is sacred and must be protected,” the bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Grall said in committee Tuesday.

Public comments lasted hours, some in favor saying “it’s a miracle that this bill is being heard,” while others warned, “essentially this is a total abortion ban.”

In the end, Republicans still had the votes needed to advance the bill, despite one defection and universal opposition from Democrats.

“Whether legally or illegally, dangerous abortions will still happen,” State Sen. Shevrin Jones said.

The bill now heads to the Senate floor where Lawmakers expect to take it up later this week and the House version still needs to clear its final committee. 

Even if this bill does get signed into law by the governor, it’s still contingent on the case against the current 15-week ban, which is law playing out in Florida’s supreme court.

The new bill has a trigger provision that states this wouldn’t go into effect until 30 days after becoming law, but if the Florida supreme court rules against the 15-week ban, this six-week ban will be tossed with it.