COLOMBIA – It seems that there is a line that not even the most ardent enemies of abortion in the South Carolina legislature cross.
The never-ending struggle in the Republican-controlled General Assembly over the suspension of abortions appeared again on March 23 – but with a turnaround in the outcome, when Republicans publicly pleaded with their colleagues to defeat the proposal that they claimed to play politics with women’s lives. .
It came at a time when the House debated its $ 10 billion state budget plan. The longest debate of the day over any amendment involved less than $ 10,000 that the state health plan last paid for in 2019.
In South Carolina, the civil servants’ insurance plan covers abortion in only three cases: When a pregnancy results from rape or incest or if a doctor believes that the mother’s life is in danger.
Since 2010, 16 abortions have been covered by these exceptions. The numbers are too small to provide an annual analysis, according to the state’s public benefits agency, although it noted that no money was paid last year.
But state deputy Jonathon Hill, R-Townville, wanted to attack all exceptions by banning the state health plan from paying for an abortion, in any circumstance, beginning July 1.
“The circumstances of a person’s upbringing do not change the basic fact that he is a human being. It is not fair to respond to a horrible tragedy like rape or incest by punishing, even executing, the child conceived in that horrible act,” he said of podium.
“When something new or beautiful arises from something horrible, even dead, we don’t consider it a mistake,” he continued. “We don’t call it something we should pay for insurance to stop. We call it rebirth. We call it redemption. There are legends about this concept; we call it a phoenix. We think of it as an ideal, wonderful thing.”
Most of his colleagues – Republicans and Democrats – did not see it that way, rejecting him with a 68-14 vote.
Democrats’ indignation was predictable. The vocal resistance of Republicans is not.
Last month, the House voted 79-35 to send Governor Henry McMaster’s table a bill banning an abortion if an ultrasound detects a fetal heartbeat, which can occur within six to eight weeks of pregnancy.
Opponents argued that it would ban abortion before many women even knew they were pregnant. But that was the point.
Action was also expected as soon as McMaster signed the law, which prevented it from taking effect. Arguments that this would result in a long and expensive legal dispute in South Carolina would probably not win anyone. Defenders really hope that this will go to the United States Supreme Court. Only two House Republicans voted against.
Legislators debate abortion every year, usually based on a number of proposals that include budget struggles.
But Rep. Micah Caskey, R-West Columbia, called Hill’s proposal “too far for me.”
The former assistant lawyer recalled processing a “disgusting and disgusting” case in 2013, involving an 11-year-old girl pregnant with her mother’s boyfriend. The girl gave birth and put the child up for adoption, he said, explaining why he struggles with the exceptions of rape and incest.
But there should be no doubt about allowing health insurance to cover the hospital costs involved in saving the mother’s life, said Caskey.
“I cannot tolerate depriving the most fundamental of all rights to self-defense,” he said. “I can’t find any other instance where you would say to another person, ‘You can’t do what you need to do to protect yourself’.”
Hill’s proposal caused flashbacks for Congressman Brian White, who took the podium after his Republican colleague from Anderson County left.
The last time the House debated abortion as a matter of insurance for employees was in 2010, when then Rep. Joey Millwood, a Republican from Spartanburg County, took the podium, repeating “we killed six babies” over and over, referring to the number of abortions covered by the health plan in the previous year.
The end result of this six-hour debate was a further hardening of the exceptions, defining what counts as saving the mother from death or a severe disability, according to the opinion of her doctor.
White, who as chairman of the budget subcommittee drafted the 2010 pledge, found it ridiculous to follow that path again.
In a passionate and personal speech, the father of three daughters blurted out.
In his 21 years in the Chamber, “not a year goes by doing nothing with abortion. It becomes a political game, and then it comes up. Photos will be taken. They will be published. We will get shouted and shouted, saying that we are not pro- life, “White said, referring to unpleasant GOP primary disputes.
“Bullshit,” he said, reciting a list of anti-abortion measures passed by the House. “I get sick and tired each year of things coming up just for political pranks here or there.
“We take a stand on abortion. Until you answer the phone or sit down with your wife or loved one who has really lost a child like me, you are wrong, ”he continued. “It protects those women. You are protecting the mother’s life.
“You are saying now that you cannot have these services prescribed by a doctor and necessary for the woman so that we could have our third child. So I ask you to do some deep research and understand exactly what you are doing. This is safe health,” he said at the end of a speech that brought a round of applause.
And with that, the debate is over.
Anti-abortion proposals are sure to come up again. And it is highly unlikely that the March 23 vote will be replicated in the future. Even after speeches made by Republicans who voted in favor of the “fetal heartbeat” law, many of the 81 most important Republican lawmakers of all time in the chamber chose not to vote.
But it was remarkable to watch.