COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – South Carolina senators on Tuesday quietly added exceptions for rape and incest to a bill that would ban nearly all abortions in the state, probably increasing the chances of the proposal finally being passed in the House. and become law.
The action came during the first day of debate over the bill, which would require doctors to use an ultrasound to try to detect fetal heartbeats if they think pregnant women are at least eight weeks old. If they find a heartbeat and the pregnancy is not the result of rape or incest, they cannot perform an abortion unless the mother’s life is in danger.
Most women do not recognize that they are pregnant until a heartbeat is detected.
A first vote on the “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Abortion Protection Act” is expected on Wednesday. Senate Republicans hope to reach the final vote on Thursday, but have acknowledged that they will give Democrats enough time to talk about the bill.
Some moderate Republicans said they cannot support the bill unless it includes exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Several others said the same on Tuesday.
But at least one conservative Republican, Senator Richard Cash of Powdersville, said he was against abortion even in the case of rape.
“Punish the rapist. Whatever you think needs to be done to correct the scales of justice – but it’s not up to the baby, “said Cash.
In his 90-second speech proposing the exceptions, Senate majority leader Shane Massey also suggested requiring doctors to report any rape or incest to the authorities. The Edgefield Republican doubled his notes, closed the comments without any flourish and asked for his amendment to be approved. Senate President Harvey Peeler did not pause, asking senators to vote “yes” or “no” out loud and then decided that the amendment was passed.
After fighting exceptions at committee meetings twice before, conservatives seemed surprised by the swift action. Cash later said he lost the vote and asked to be registered that he opposed the exceptions.
Senators expect a long debate on the Wednesday before the vote and again on Thursday before the final vote. If Democrats plan to obstruct as they did in previous years, it will probably be before the final vote.
But the new Senate rules passed after the party won three seats in the November elections means that senators will not need more than 26 members to force the final vote. Republicans now have 30 senators; Democrats are 16. The bill has passed the House before, but failed to overcome the procedural hurdle in the Senate. Governor Henry McMaster has said repeatedly that he will sign the bill immediately.
Current South Carolina law prohibits abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy. Opponents of abortion in South Carolina are eager to restrict it further, discouraged because about a dozen other states have approved similar or even more restrictive proposals. Everyone is being held in court because federal law still allows women to have an abortion.
According to the proposed state bill, doctors can be convicted of a crime and face up to two years in prison if they do not check their heartbeat or detect one and perform an abortion anyway. The woman who has an abortion will not be punished.
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