SC Gov. McMaster pressures senators to pass ‘fetal heartbeat’ abortion ban
Minutes before South Carolina’s senators filed into chamber for their second day of the legislative session, hundreds of abortion protesters gathered at the State House to pressure the lawmakersto pass a bill that would ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, speaking Wednesday in the lobby near the Senate entrance, called on senators to follow the House’s lead and pass the bill.
“Can y’all hear me OK?” McMaster called out to the crowd. “What’s important is the men and the women in the Senate hear you.”
Passing a bill to further restrict access to abortions in South Carolina is considered one of the top priorities of some Republicans at the State House this year. Over the summer, Republicans in the Senate worked to fast-track the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill, so it would be ready to hit the floor in the chamber as soon as legislators returned to Columbia.
The bill passed by the House in April would outlaw most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, roughly in the sixth week of pregnancy, before some women know they are pregnant. However, the legislation included exceptions for victims of rape and incest.
In October, members of the Senate stripped out those exceptions, but later they were added back in under the condition that the victims of rape or incest would be required to report the crimes against them to be able to have an abortion.
That version of the bill passed out of committee in November and is now on the Senate calendar.
Despite opposition from critics like Planned Parenthood, who have called the bill “extreme” and “deeply disappointing,” McMaster on Wednesday again vowed to sign the bill once it lands on his desk.
“The right to life is fundamental to everything we stand for,” McMaster said. “It’s time for the Senate to listen to the people of South Carolina, who everyone in this building works directly for.”
Leaders from Planned Parenthood issued a statement Wednesday about the event.
“Make no mistake: this bill is intended to ban almost all abortion in our state. It is important that abortion remain a safe and legal medical procedure for a woman to consider if or when she needs it,” said Vicki Ringer, state director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic. “The truth is that abortion is a critical component not only of women’s health care but of their ability to lead free and fulfilling lives with dignity and autonomy.”
If the ban were to become law, South Carolina would have one of the most extreme abortion laws in the country and would almost certainly face a challenge in the courts, critics say. Supporters of banning abortion have said they would welcome a court challenge all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where they are hopeful the right to abortion would be overturned.
Republican leaders have expressed doubt over whether the bill could survive a Senate vote.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said last week his party does not have the votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster. The Senate has 46 members, and Republicans would need 26 votes to overcome a filibuster. Massey said the party is two votes short.
S.C. Rep. John McCravy spoke to the anti-abortion advocates minutes before the rally, calling for supporters to remain optimistic.
“We’re on the cusp of getting this through the Senate,” McCravy said. “It shows that our state is on the right side.”
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 12:50 PM with the headline "SC Gov. McMaster pressures senators to pass ‘fetal heartbeat’ abortion ban."
