COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A bill that would allow judges to sentence women who get abortions to decades in prison and could restrict the use of IUDs and in vitro fertilization goes before a small group of South Carolina senators Tuesday.
This would be the first of at least a half-dozen legislative steps for the proposal that includes the strictest abortion prohibitions and punishments in the nation.
The subcommittee of the state Senate’s Medical Affairs Committee can change it Tuesday afternoon and even if it’s approved, its prospects are doubtful at best.
But even at this stage, the bill has gone further than any other such proposal across the U.S. since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, opening the door for states to implement abortion bans.
The proposal would ban all abortions unless the woman’s life is threatened. Current state law bans abortions after cardiac activity is detected, which is typically six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Current law also allows abortions for rape and incest victims up to 12 weeks.
The proposal would also implement measures not seen in any other state. Women who obtain an abortion and anyone who assists them could face up to 30 years in prison. It appears to ban any contraception that prevents a fertilized egg from implanting, which could restrict access to intrauterine devices and limit in vitro fertilization services.
Providing information about abortions would be illegal, leaving doctors uneasy about suggesting locations where the procedure is allowed.
Republican Sen. Richard Cash, who sponsors the bill, acknowledged last month the potential issues with the concept of banning contraceptives and restricting the advice doctors provide to patients. Despite recognizing these challenges, he has not indicated what changes might be made.
As this bill progresses, abortion remains an unsettled issue within conservative states. The internal debate among anti-abortion groups highlights divisions, with some, like South Carolina Citizens for Life, against penalizing women who seek abortions, while others, such as Equal Protection South Carolina, insist that abortion is murder and should be treated as such, representing the polarized nature of this legislation.
