Women’s rights group backs Finlay opponent

A women’s rights group endorsed state Rep. Kirkman Finlay’s general election opponent Thursday, denouncing the Richland County Republican’s votes for a 20-week abortion ban that passed last spring.

Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic endorsed Tyler Gregg, a Richland County Democrat, for the House District 75 seat. It is the first S.C. legislative endorsement by the political action committee, formed last year to support Planned Parenthood.

At a press conference on the State House steps Thursday, Gregg promised that if elected, he will support women’s reproductive rights, equal pay for women and paid family leave to help parents care for a newborn or adopted child. “I won’t play politics with women’s health,” the Columbia attorney said.

S.C. House members voted 80-28 in favor of the 20-week abortion ban. Reached Thursday, Finlay noted state Rep. Robert Ridgeway, D-Clarendon, a gynecologist, also voted for the ban. “It strikes me that I’m with the medical expert in our body.”

Finlay was elected to the House in 2012 and re-elected in 2014 from District 75, which consistently has voted Republican.

Eve Stacey, a member of the group’s board, called South Carolina’s new anti-abortion law “radical” and “blatantly unconstitutional.”

“Let’s elect someone who will be a champion for women’s rights, and that person is Tyler Gregg,” she said.

This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Women’s rights group backs Finlay opponent."