The South Carolina legislature approved a bill Tuesday banning most late-term abortions after 19 weeks of pregnancy unless the mother’s life is at risk in a medical emergency.
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The legislation is now on its way to Governor Nikki Haley’s desk after having passed Tuesday. The stern message came after Haley repeatedly said in the past that she had the backs of farmers who drive the state’s largest industry. However, he admits that this compromise is “the best we can get”.
Opponents of such bans say it’s unconstitutional to ban the procedure that early on in the pregnancy, and legal battles are holding up implementation of the law in three states.
Abortions after 20 weeks account for approximately one percent of all abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
The bill’s supporters contend that fetuses can feel pain by 20 weeks, which is debated in the medical community.
Rep. James Smith, D-Columbia, says there will be a court challenge to the law, which could cost SC taxpayers millions of dollars to defend, and the state will lose.
Deputies say a mother overheard her 6-year-old son tell his sister that his babysitter “Cooter” had given him oral sex.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture would administer the program with help from a seven-member advisory board. “Governor Haley’s factually inaccurate justification for vetoing the Farm Aid bill is inconsistent with SC values”. Bill co-sponsor Rep. Donna Hicks, R-Boiling Springs, says a woman who is raped or the victim of incest still has nearly five months to get an abortion.
The restriction in the SC abortion law is expected to affect only the hospitals, as the state has only three abortion clinics that do not perform such procedure for pregnancies over 15 weeks. Most of the women are white, married and older than 24, according to the agency.
Under the bill, a doctor who performs an abortion after 19 weeks who does not meet the criteria for an exception could face up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down both Idaho’s and Arizona’s versions, AP has reported. In other words, it took this bill five years to work its way from fringe proposal-and, in the eyes of many, open act of defiance against Supreme Court precedent-to run-of-the-mill legislation with majority support. News stories displayed here appear in our category for US Headlines and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.com and The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization. “We’ve seen so many restrictions in so many states that providers are struggling to keep their doors open and women are struggling to access services”.
