South Carolina Senate Passes 6-Week Abortion Ban

The Republican leadership in the legislature had been eager to pass a ban that could challenge the State Supreme Court decision from January. The justice who wrote that decision was the only woman on the bench, and she made ample reference to the expansion of rights for women since Roe was decided in 1973.

But she retired shortly after and was replaced by a man, making South Carolina the only state with an all-male high court.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, an anti-abortion group, celebrated the bill’s passage, thanking South Carolina Republicans for their “persistence.”

“This measure will save thousands of individuals each year who will enrich the lives of others and the state of South Carolina,” said Caitlin Connors, the group’s Southern regional director.

Republicans, including the women who tried to filibuster the bill, had been concerned about the rising number of abortions in the state since other Southern states enacted bans. According to state health officials, roughly half of all abortions in recent months have involved residents of other states.

In the days leading up to the debate, Shane Massey, the Republican Senate majority leader, declared that South Carolina had become “the abortion capital of the Southeast.”

“The pro-life members of the Senate believe this is unacceptable,” he said.

Before the final vote on Tuesday evening, the six-week ban was fiercely condemned by the Republican women senators and their Democratic colleagues.

“When you wake up, when your sisters wake up, when your daughters wake up, and you want to know who took away your rights, it was the Republicans,” said Brad Hutto, the Democratic Senate minority leader.