Pro-life supporters gather at State House, call on lawmakers to pass fetal heartbeat bill

South Carolina would be the 11th state to have a similar abortion law on the books

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) —Governor Henry McMaster (R-South Carolina) stood with hundreds of pro-life supporters at the State House to encourage lawmakers to pass a bill that would ban virtually all abortions in South Carolina.

The only exceptions in the bill are in cases involving rape or incest, or if the mother’s health is in danger.

When it comes to House Bill 3020, some Republican Senators say there aren’t enough votes to push the bill through, saying they don’t want to repeat what happened to a similar abortion bill two years ago.

Back in 2018, Democratic Senators successfully filibustered a bill that would have banned most abortions in the state. Some Republican lawmakers say they don’t have the numbers to halt a filibuster if this bill goes to the Senate floor.

“The math hasn’t changed since then. We don’t have 26 votes to invoke cloture, we don’t have 26 votes to bring it up for a vote but that’s just the reality right now,” said Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort County).

On the other side of the aisle, some say the Senate chambers isn’t the place to be discussing what a woman should do with her body.

“There are only four women in the Senate that know anything about being pregnant, and any one of those women will tell you at six weeks, you don’t know whether or not there’s a heartbeat or whether it’s a viable pregnancy, and those are the only four that should really be speaking about this bill,” said Sen. Margie Bright Matthews (D-Colleton County).

Even with Senators not rushing to take up the bill, that’s not slowing down people who want to protect life.

Now armed with Governor McMaster’s affirmation that he would sign the bill if it came on his desk, some pro-life supporters believe their voices could sway a few votes.

“At the point that baby’s heart starts begins to beat, those are two beating hearts, so we’re advocating for the mother and for the unborn child,” said Debra Ortt of the Carolina Pregnancy Center in Spartanburg.

Some say if pro-life supporters are persistent, that could determine when the bill is discussed. 

“I think that’s going to depend a lot upon the pro-life people, how much pressure to bring to bear on their Senators, and if they’re willing to do that constantly over the next four months,” said Sen. Richard Cash (R-Anderson County).

Currently in South Carolina, a woman is unable to legally get an abortion if she is 20 weeks pregnant.

If the bill does become law, South Carolina would become the eleventh state to have a fetal heartbeat ban on the books. 

Similar bills that have been signed in the ten other states are currently being challenged in the courts.