Supporters of abortion rights, restrictions rally at State House

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO)–As the ad-hoc committee met inside the Blatt Building on State House grounds Tuesday, protests and rallies went on outside.

Pro-abortion rights groups and pro-life advocates gathered at the capitol to express their beliefs in earshot of the committee. Members of the pro-choice group WREN led protestors in chants as members of pro-life groups like “Liberty and Justice for All” expressed their opinions nearby.

Ann Warner, the CEO of WREN, says South Carolina has come to a dangerous place, “We’ve gone so far to the extreme that we are concerned that we are talking about a complete and total ban with no exceptions which would put people’s healthcare, people’s safety, people’s lives, and people’s freedoms at risk.”

Photo: Lee Williams

Hannah Smith, a member of the pro-life group known as Liberty and Justice for All believes in a complete ban on abortion with no exceptions, saying, “I don’t believe that its’ the child’s fault, no matter what the circumstances are of their conception. The right to life is a human right.”

Annette Bethel, president of the women’s group Columbia NOW, worries that anti-abortion legislation could spiral into other areas for women. “I really wish people would just think about how harmful these bills are for women. Women are going to miscarry and you know the way the trend is going now, if women miscarry or have something wrong with their pregnancy, you could end up going to jail,” Bethel says.

Kizzie Smalls, District 77 candidate for the S.C. House of Representatives, is pro-life and believes life begins at conception. “They are screaming it’s a woman’s choice. They are screaming that it’s healthcare. But when I look up healthcare it says that healthcare enhances life. It prolongs life. It does not take a life. So I’m just here to show my support and let people know that we have to choose life,” says Smalls.

Today’s ad-hoc committee meeting ended with it’s proposed bill passing nine to three.