COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Republicans are reviving efforts to ban nearly all abortions in the state after it failed in the fall.
It comes three weeks after the state supreme court overturned the fetal heartbeat law, which banned abortions around six weeks.
The "Human Life Protection Act" sponsored by Rep. John McCravy (R-Greenwood) would ban abortions with exceptions for rape, incest, fetal anomalies and life of the mother.
"What this bill does is to end the practice of abortion being used as birth control in our state," said McCravy. "Statistics show this bill will still save 99.5% of all children."
The proposal, backed by dozens of republicans, does not restrict in-vitro fertilization or contraception and does not criminalize people for getting an abortion. It does, however, include criminal penalites for doctors who perform illegal abortions.
Lawmakers heard more than 30 minutes of public testimony Thursday from Supporters and opponents of the bill.
"We are asking you to Make it very clear what the state of South Carolina says about the issue of privacy and what the state of South Carolina says about abortion so the supreme court can’t blur those lines again," said Dave Wilson with Palmetto Family.
"What is to be learned from the second kick of the mule?," asked Vicki Ringer with Planned Parenthood. "We have done this year after year and while that six week ban was in effect not a single abortion stopped. You're not stopping anything, you’re just hurting poor women because women of means always find a way to go where they can get the care they want and that includes abortions."
McCravy expressed confidence that his new proposal banning abortion from conception would satisfy one of the three Supreme Court justices who voted to strike down the 2021 law because of legal concerns. In his opinion, Justice John Cannon Few wrote that by banning abortion at roughly six weeks, the General Assembly had created an interest in making “an informed choice about whether to continue a pregnancy” that undercut the the state’s interest in stopping abortions altogether.
“This bill recognizes that human life begins at conception and that human life is deserving of protection in all stages of development and decline,” said McCravy.
Democrats like Rep. Spencer Whetmore disagree.
"By creating exceptions, you’re still creating a situation where some women have rights that other women do not and so I won't pretend to be a constitutional scholar, but i don't really understand how we are getting around justice few’s concurrence with this bill," said Whetmore.
"We’re not looking out for the greater good of our people and I just think this is a waste of time and money," said Rep. Heather Bauer (D-Richland) who ran solely on the issue of reproductive rights.
McMaster has not given up on the 2021 law. The Republican governor said Wednesday night during his annual State of the State address that he will file for a rehearing in the state Supreme Court decision.
Next month the legislature will vote on Justice Kay Hearn's replacement on the bench. Judge Gary hill is expected to be elected, after two other women vying for the seat dropped out of the race.