abortion bill

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for November 22, 2025: we look at the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee that failed to advance that restrictive abortion bill this week; we delve into a damning investigation into former House Rep. RJ May and the Freedom Caucus; we also get an update on projected revenues lawmakers will have to appropriate with next year; and more!

A bill being considered by a small group of senators in South Carolina could allow judges to sentence women who get abortions to decades in prison. The proposal before a state Senate subcommittee Tuesday also could restrict the use of intrauterine devices and in vitro fertilization and ban all abortions unless the woman's life is threatened.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for November 18, 2025: we preview some of the legislative meetings happening this week, including the screening of judicial candidates and a hearing on what would be the most restrictive abortion law if passed; we hear from Sen. Lindsey Graham on the shutdown ending, the looming healthcare debate, and potential conflict in Venezuela; we also have a 1st congressional district update for you; and more!

An S.C. Senate Medical Affairs panel discussed a restrictive abortion ban — S. 323 — on Oct. 1. The bill would outlaw abortion and eliminate exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies.

The South Carolina Senate has approved a bill that would ban most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy, sending the bill to the governor who has promised to sign it. The proposal passed on Tuesday restores the ban South Carolina had in place when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. That ban was overturned by the state’s highest court because it violated the state Constitution’s right to privacy.

South Carolina is close to joining its Southern neighbors in further curtailing abortion access. The Republican-led state Senate on Tuesday is expected to consider a bill banning most abortions after an ultrasound detects cardiac activity, generally around six weeks and before most patients know they are pregnant. The proposal cleared the state House last week following nearly 24 hours of proceedings split across two days over hundreds of Democrats' amendments. But additional regulations inserted by the House are provoking Republican ire that could prolong the debate. Those changes include requiring child support beginning at conception and limiting minors' ability to petition the court for an abortion.

South Carolina is a step closer to having a six-week abortion law again.

As more Southern states pass new restrictions on abortion, Virginia is poised to become an outlier in the region for its relatively permissive laws. That could set up Virginia as a destination for women seeking abortions and raise questions about providers' capacity to meet demand. South Carolina is among the last bastions in the region for those seeking legal abortions, but that status could end soon. Access would be almost entirely banned after about six weeks of pregnancy under a bill expected that passed the House Wednesday but still needs Senate approval. And most abortions after 12 weeks will be banned in North Carolina after the state legislature successfully overrode the Democratic governor's veto Tuesday.

The Republican-controlled South Carolina House is expected to debate a bill that would ban abortion as soon as cardiac activity is detected. The debate on Tuesday comes after the state Senate rejected a proposal to nearly outlaw the procedure as soon as conception. The chambers' disagreement over restrictions epitomizes fault lines that have developed between Republicans nationwide since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The measure in the House would ban abortion when an ultrasound detects cardiac activity, around six weeks and before most people know they are pregnant. Opponents say a ban around six weeks is essentially an "outright abortion ban."

This year’s regular session of the General Assembly ended late Thursday, May 11, 2023. It ended where it began with Republicans attempting to enact a new, restrictive abortion bill. A House committee this week approved and sent to the full House a six-week, heartbeat bill similar to a law the state Supreme Court overturned in January. Gov. McMaster plans to call lawmakers back to Columbia next week, and House Speaker Murrell Smith vowed the House will pass the bill which has already been approved by the Senate.