South Carolina has banned abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy. The only five women in the Senate, including three Republicans, fought in vain to compromise on less stringent abortion laws.
The US state of South Carolina passed a ban on abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy on Tuesday. The only five women in the Senate, including three Republicans, fought in vain to compromise on less stringent abortion laws.
During the debates, Republican Senator Sandy Senn accused her male party colleagues of “literally slapping women by raising the issue of abortion over and over again.” Ultimately, anti-abortion groups got enough votes to pass the law.
It will have far-reaching implications for access to abortion, especially since many women in their sixth week of pregnancy are still unaware they are having a baby. In addition, many abortion clinics have long waiting lists, making the law almost a de facto ban, according to critics.
The law still needs to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster before it can go into effect. His consent is considered certain. He “can’t wait to sign the text” and put it into effect “as soon as possible,” he said on Twitter.
Last June, the US Supreme Court overturned a landmark 1973 ruling legalizing abortion nationwide. As a result, numerous states restricted access to abortions or banned abortions. A previous six-week ban in South Carolina had been overturned by the state Supreme Court.
Recently surrounded by several states that ban abortion, South Carolina has become a haven for women seeking abortions. The Republican senators in South Carolina saw this fact as a further argument for tightening the law. The state has become the “abortion capital of the Southeast,” said Senator Shane Massey.
Pro-choice advocates condemned the Senate decision in South Carolina. It’s a “devastating decision for the people of South Carolina and for an entire region where access to abortion is becoming increasingly difficult for patients,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the influential advisory organization Planned Parenthood. She announced that the politicians “will not have the last word” and promised to take legal action against the law.