We need YOU —and your power as a constituent—as the Senate takes up draconian abortion legislation on September 7.
No set of exceptions will make this legislation —or the “heartbeat” bill already in effect— acceptable. Our testimonies outline our concerns.
The landscape
South Carolina’s “heartbeat” abortion ban was passed in 2021. It is not enforced at present because a temporary injunction was 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.
House bill H.5399 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.
The full Senate will return on September 7 at 10 a.m. to debate the bill as received from Medical Affairs. The Senate floor debate will be live-streamed from www.scstatehouse.gov. Go to the “Chamber Video” links on the left of that page.
Keep up the pressure
Use your CONSTITUENT power. Make a call.
- Call and ask your personal Senator 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.
- 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 ThomasAlexander [at] scsenate.gov (Thomas Alexander,) President of the Senate
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.
