SC Daily Gazette

Bill S.1095 treats every South Carolinian who can become pregnant as a second-class citizen whose body is subject to the demands of the state. It is intended less to protect children than to redefine the role of girls and women in the family and in society to conform to the wishes of a minority whose views are rooted in fundamentalist religious dogma and personal preferences regarding gender roles.

These have no place in our laws. South Carolina must trust its people, not legislators, to make the medically and ethically complex decisions that surround pregnancy.

A recent result from the Winthrop University Poll reinforces our point that for several major policy areas, clear majorities of South Carolina residents express views that diverge from legislation advanced or enacted by the state legislature.