COLUMBIA, S.C. — A women's rights group filed an amicus brief with the South Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday to help support access to abortion in South Carolina.
An amicus brief allows an organization, that is not party to a legal case, but can assist by offering expertise or insight.
The brief, filed by The Women's Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) and its partners, says that the six-week abortion ban would create barriers for women in the state.
The South Carolina Senate approved a bill that would ban most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy.
The proposal restores a ban South Carolina had in place when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year — a ban that, once it took effect, was overturned by the state’s highest court because it violated the state Constitution’s right to privacy.
The bill includes exceptions for fatal fetal anomalies, the patient’s life and health, and rape or incest up to 12 weeks. Doctors could face felony charges carrying two years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
Abortion currently remains legal through 22 weeks in South Carolina, though other regulations largely block access after the first trimester at the state’s three clinics.
