COLUMBIA, S.C. — State GOP lawmakers are rushing to get a six-week abortion ban to the Governor's desk before the session ends in three days.
The bill made it through the subcommittee and committee within hours. It now goes to the floor for debate.
It comes nearly a week after the Senate rejected the House's near-total abortion ban for the second time this session.
If staunch anti-abortion lawmakers budge on their position of passing a ban at conception, it could end a stand-off between the chambers that's lasted since last year.
The bill is similar to the Fetal Heartbeat Law that lawmakers passed in 2021. It bans abortions when a heartbeat is detected, which is at about six weeks of pregnancy. It includes exceptions for rape and incest, the life and health of the mother, and fatal fetal anomalies.
Jill and Mark Hartle testified that those exceptions aren't enough.
At an 18-week check-up, the couple discovered their baby had a rare heart defect and would die soon after birth or need a lifetime of heart transplants and surgeries to survive.
Because of South Carolina's six-week abortion ban that was in effect last year, the Hartles had to travel from Charleston to Washington D.C. to get the care they needed.
"MUSC said they could not help me because if the Supreme Court decision came down in the middle of my induction of labor, they would be held liable and they couldn't take on that risk," said Jill.
The Hartles added this experience has changed their political views from identifying as conservatives to Democrats.
“The extra stress that this state has caused me, has caused so much mental trauma I will deal with for the rest of my life, all because my state decided that placing judgment moral high ground was more important than giving us and our doctors the compassion to do what we knew was best," said Jill.
"Abortion care is not health care for either the mother or the fetus," said Dr. Sharai Amaya, a Greenwood obstetrician and gynecologist with 18 years of experience. “I know beyond any reasonable doubt that a human fetus is indeed a living human being.”
Critics said the Senate bill is nearly the same proposal that the state Supreme Court ruled was an unconstitutional violation of a person's right to privacy.
"No matter how you slice it and dice it and try to add additional revisions ... if the six-week ban remains the centerpiece of the bill, it will remain unconstitutional," said Kathleen McDaniel, an attorney who represented Planned Parenthood in the recent abortion law case.
Republicans maintain this version of the bill and the makeup of the State Supreme Court is different this time around.
"Now the ball is in our court again to craft legislation that they will ultimately, I assume, they will have to take up again," said Rep. Jay Jordan (R-Florence County).
House Majority Leader Davey Hiott said floor debate over the ban is likely to happen on Thursday, which is the last day of the legislative session.
The Senate must approve any changes to the bill before it becomes law.
Lawmakers haven't passed a sine die resolution, which outlines what they can debate after the session ends. This means the House could debate and pass the bill next week.