SC Senate subcomittee advances near-total abortion ban. Here’s what to know
A South Carolina Senate subcommittee gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would ban nearly all abortions, stripping current exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies. The measure faces an uphill path with only weeks left in the legislative session. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee held a hearing on the bill Thursday and will reconvene Tuesday at 9 a.m.
FULL STORY: Penalizing women and doctors for abortions in SC effort inches forward
Here are the key takeaways:
- What the bill does: It would ban all abortions except when the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. Current law permits abortions until a heartbeat is detected, around the sixth week of pregnancy.
- Penalties for doctors: Anyone who performs an abortion, including physicians, could face a felony charge with up to 20 years in jail or a $100,000 fine.
- Penalties for women: A woman who has an abortion would face a misdemeanor charge with up to two years in jail or a $1,000 fine — a reduction from a stricter proposal that failed last fall.
- Medication abortion: The bill would make drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol controlled substances and penalize possession or distribution for abortion purposes.
- Opposition concerns: Reproductive rights advocates and physicians warned the restrictions could delay care and worsen doctor shortages in rural areas. “When you criminalize a mom, you’re not just punishing her, you’re punishing her children,” said Ashlyn Preaux of the Palmetto State Abortion Fund.
- Some supporters wanted harsher penalties: Mark Corral of Equal Protection South Carolina said the death penalty should be on the table, arguing a misdemeanor charge was too lenient.
- Timeline uncertainty: Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said contested bills should already be on the floor, and the abortion bill hasn’t been discussed as a caucus priority.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.