Members of the South Carolina House on Tuesday passed a near-total ban on abortion from the time of conception with exceptions — another major milestone for the pro-life movement in a post-Roe world.
The bill failed to pass the first time, as it did not originally have exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. The second time, however, Republicans successfully passed the bill 67-38 with those exceptions added. It still has a way to go before reaching the governor’s desk — another vote in the House and then a battle in the state’s Senate as lawmakers accuse each other of attempting to control a woman’s body.
“But here’s the thing — at the end of the day we passed a good pro-life bill in South Carolina,” said Republican Rep. John McCravy said.
The current bill bans abortions from the moment of conception but allows exceptions for up to 12 weeks of pregnancy if a woman tells her doctor that she was raped.
In order for a woman to legally obtain an abortion, the doctor must report the rape to authorities:
The bill allows abortions up to 12 weeks after conception if a women tells a doctor she was raped. The doctor has to tell the woman he is going to report the rape to the county sheriff and has 24 hours after the procedure to give deputies the woman’s name and contact information.
Other changes voted down in the debate included language supporters said would protect in vitro fertilization and birth control, and proposals that would allow prosecutors to charge a women who gets an abortion with murder.
South Carolina currently has a six-week ban on abortion, although the state’s Supreme Court has temporarily suspended it due to ongoing litigation involving a case with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
A demonstrator stands outside the Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services Center in St. Louis, Missouri, May 30, 2019, the last location in the state performing abortions. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
“At this preliminary stage, we are unable to determine with finality the constitutionality of the Act under our state’s constitutional prohibition against unreasonable invasions of privacy,” the Court wrote.
South Carolina is following the lead of Indiana, which became the first state to pass a near-total abortion ban in post-Roe America. Under the bill, signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb (R), abortion is banned with limited exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother, as Breitbart News detailed:
Some exceptions are included in the abortion ban, such as rape or incest up to ten weeks after fertilization, endangerment of the mother’s life, and if the fetus has a fatal diagnosis. Under these exceptions, the procedure is only permitted up to 20 weeks after fertilization.
If an abortion is to be performed under one of those exceptions, it is only permitted to take place in a hospital or a facility owned by a hospital, the Associated Press (AP) reported. This means that all abortion clinics will lose their licenses, the news agency noted.
If a doctor performs an illegal abortion or does not properly file the required reports, they risk losing their medical license.
The Hoosier State’s ban is expected to go into effect September 15, but the state’s abortion clinic operators filed a lawsuit in hopes of halting the ban.
A May Fox News poll found that most Americans believe abortion should be “mostly” or “always” illegal.
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