abortion bill

The South Carolina House has approved a bill that outlaws abortion except in the cases of pregnancies caused by rape or incest. The chamber initially rejected the bill that did not have the exceptions Tuesday. But once Republicans saw the outcome of that vote, they quickly went through a number of complex procedures and votes to bring the bill back from the brink of failure. The exceptions were added on a voice vote and the bill passed 67-38. The bill has one more routine vote before it goes to the Senate, where stricter bans on abortions have seen tougher fights.

This week lawmakers will consider outlawing nearly all abortions even as the South Carolina Supreme Court temporarily halts a six week ban.

A near total abortion ban in South Carolina that doesn't include exceptions for pregnancies' caused by rape or incest was sent to the state House floor Tuesday but not without hints and warnings that the lack of exceptions could cause a big legislative fight in a few weeks. The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-7 to approve the ban. All yes votes were from Republicans and all votes against the bill from Democrats. But three Republican committee members who were at the meeting did not vote. South Carolina currently has a six-week ban passed in 2021 that went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The full House will likely debate the bill at a special session called by House Speaker Murrell Smith in the next few weeks.

National advocacy groups and hundreds of demonstrators have descended on the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse grounds to testify before lawmakers considering new abortion-related measures after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. A 21-year-old college student speaking against abortion access Thursday shared the story of her own birth, when doctors advised her parents to get an abortion after an ultrasound showed a severely underdeveloped leg and a cyst on her brain. In his testimony against additional restrictions, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Joe Cunningham noted the story of a 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio who recently traveled out-of-state for an abortion.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month it stated that it was time to return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives, meaning state or federal lawmakers. Surveys by news organizations indicate that about half of the states are now expected to restrict or enact laws making abortion illegal. South Carolina is among them, and later today in Columbia the legislative process to do that will begin with a public hearing by a special State House of Representatives Committee.