Total abortion bans are moving forward
Show up, watch, call and email
This Action Alert was released by the League of Women Voters of South Carolina on August 24, 2022.
We need YOU — your presence, your calls, and your emails—as both Houses advance draconian abortion legislation. The House meets on August 30 and 31, the Senate on September 7. Now is the time to act!
The current bills are draconian in their violation of the rights of all who are or can become pregnant, not even providing exceptions for the health of the mother. However, no set of exceptions will make these bills — or the “heartbeat” bill already signed into law — acceptable. Our testimonies outline our concerns.
8.16.2022 House Special Laws Subcommittee Testimony H.5399
8.17.2022 Senate Medical Affairs Committee Testimony S.1327, S.1373, S.1348
The landscape
South Carolina’s “heartbeat” abortion ban was passed in 2021. It is not enforced at present because of a temporary injunction granted by the SC Supreme Court, but the ban could go into effect after the case is heard. However, even that draconian law is not enough for anti-abortion extremists.
The General Assembly is returning to pass an abortion bill with only one very limited exception, the life of the mother. The vehicle for this is H.5399, forwarded to the full House with a favorable recommendation by the House Judiciary Committee. Although the content of H.5399 is still not posted online for public review, WREN has posted a video summary of H.5399.
The House will return to debate H.5399 on Tuesday, August 30, at 1 p.m. They are expected to continue on Wednesday, August 31.
Once the House has passed a bill, it will be received by the Senate at 9 a.m. on September 6 in a perfunctory session (a measure needed to conform to Senate Rules) followed that day by a meeting of Senate Medical Affairs Committee.
The full Senate will return on September 7 at 10 a.m. to debate the bill as received from Medical Affairs. Debates will continue as needed through the week. The floor debate in both houses will be live-streamed from www.scstatehouse.gov. Go to the “Chamber Video” links on the left of that page.
The asks
Show up at noon on August 30
The Healthy Families Coalition of which the League is a part is asking all who can be there to show up on August 30 at noon. Sign up, and receive information on transportation options. It is expected that buses will be scheduled from some locations, while ridesharing may be organized in other cases.
Can't attend? Make it a watch party.
If you can’t be there, watching with like-minded people can be a supportive and energizing experience. Here's a watch party toolkit.
Use your CONSTITUENT power. Make two calls.
Call and ask your personal House and Senate members not to vote for this ban. Identify yourself as a CONSTITUENT, the most powerful voice there is. A friendly office assistant will answer and note your views.
Reach out to the leadership. Turn up the heat!
Call members of Senate Medical Affairs. Use the easy links to call targeted senators on this committee.
In addition, emails can be sent to legislative leadership:
Senator Thomas Alexander, President of the Senate
Representative Murrell Smith, Speaker of the House
The LWVSC position
The League is not asking for additional exceptions to be written into H.5399. Decisions around abortion are the moral right of those who are pregnant and are too complex for a limited array of legislated guidelines and exceptions. Most doctors and theologians from many religious groups agree with us. See our testimony.
We are asking for a law codifying the protections associated with Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the moral agency of those who are pregnant up until viability while providing legal protection to a viable fetus after that, with appropriate exceptions. This is consistent with the beliefs of the majority of Americans, which should be the foundation of our laws. Imposing the religious beliefs of some on all, as these bills do, is religious establishment, prohibited by federal and state Constitutions.