State officials will put to a vote in the House whether South Carolina changes its abortion laws, following this year’s US Supreme Court decision. For decades, the state was at the forefront of passing abortion laws, but now prohibits abortion from six weeks with almost no change in some restrictions.
Even though in years past the state required ultrasounds, parental consent and 24-hour waiting periods for abortions, they now face a special session. The Senate was only able to muster enough votes to change the abortion ban after six weeks.
The AP news agency highlights that if they reject the Senate version that would allow a group of three legislators from each chamber to work on a compromise between the Senate bill and the House version, which it prohibited almost all abortions with the exception of pregnancies caused by rape or incest or that threaten the life of the mother, only up to 12 weeks after conception.
Senator Shane Massey said senators showed earlier this month that there are not enough votes in the House for a ban before six weeks. The three women of the Senate joined two other Republicans against a near total ban on abortion,
The bill before the House maintains the ban on abortion after an ultrasound determines that there is cardiac activity in a fetus, which is usually around six weeks, blind reduces the time it takes for rape and incest victims to seek an abortion to just 12 weeks of gestation, since the DNA of the aborted fetus is required for the police.
“I cannot agree to a bill that does nothing. They didn’t call us to pass a bill that we already have, we were called to rewrite the laws of our statesaid Rep. John McCravy, the Republican who drafted the House bill.
McCravy plans to join a dozen more of the more conservative members of the House who agree that the Senate bill is unacceptable for his promise to protect all forms of life.
The South Carolina Supreme Court has stayed enforcement of the state’s six-week ban until it can decide whether it violates the state constitution’s right-to-privacy guarantee, leaving the 20-week ban passed in 2016 as current law.
Sen. Tom Davis said that grossly and unfairly distorts their positions, and he believes that if Republicans are going to push for restrictions on abortion, they should also improve access to birth control, prenatal care, and educational opportunities for children.
The three House Republican women said the ban on nearly all abortions went too far and they were especially upset that the House bill originally had no exceptions for rape or incest.
“Are you pregnant with a stillborn baby? Pity. Your grandfather raped her when she was 11 and she got pregnant? That’s a shame.” Senator Penry Gustafson said earlier this month.
In response, the South Carolina Freedom Caucus released a letter last week from its two female members saying they “mean it when we say we are pro-life.”
“Allowing the murder of a living being based on situations that practically never occur is unacceptable to us.”said the letter from Representatives Ashley Trantham and Melissa Oremus, promising that all 13 members of the group would vote against the bill.
With information from The Associated Press
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Source: La Opinion
