The bills that were proposed in South Carolina and Nebraska failed to pass, which would have been a significant change for state residents. Currently, both states allow abortion up to around 22 weeks, and 14 states have active bans on nearly all abortions. The proposed ban would have prohibited abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions for rape and incest before 12 weeks.
With a few weeks left in its session, South Carolina could still pass an abortion ban. The Senate has already passed a six-week ban, which the House could take up. Republicans have struggled to reach consensus on just how far abortion restrictions ought to go, and some in the G.O.P see the issue as a political liability after midterm losses.
In Nebraska, longtime Republican Sen. Merv Riepe (R), 80-years-old who would have been the decisive vote to advance the bill to a final round of voting abstained over his concern that the six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they are pregnant.
In South Carolina, Republicans failed to bring the near-total ban legislation before Governor Henry McMaster's desk after their Republican-led House passed it back in February—effectively killing this year’s bill initiative.
South Carolina has emerged as an unlikely refuge for those seeking abortions; out-of-state patients make up half of all abortions performed so far this year within its borders. At least one model remained on display during Senate debates regarding these near-total bans: Senator Katrina Shealy (R) criticized plastic spines used by anti-abortion lobbyists as “the worst example of lobbying” she had ever seen.
This ongoing debate highlights divisions within conservative lawmakers over how restrictive new legislation should be when addressing reproductive rights—a balance between upholding principles touted by pro-life activists while avoiding alienating moderate voters come next election season is proving difficult for some politicians navigating these tumultuous legal waters surrounding abortion access.