Shock as Two Pro-Life States Reject Abortion Bans

Both South Carolina and Nebraska’s lawmakers failed to pass early abortion ban legislation in surprise outcomes that reflect the issue’s sensitivity, which continues to plague Republicans heading into 2024.

In South Carolina, the failure represents the third time state senators rejected a near-total abortion ban as the state has become a beacon for women who want to end pregnancies from surrounding states where the procedure has been successfully banned.

Abortion in the state remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy. The bill would have banned abortion at conception with limited exceptions for rape or incest through the first trimester, fatal fetal abnormalities verified by two doctors, and to save the mother’s life or health.

The chamber’s five women senators, mostly Republicans, gave lengthy speeches in order to filibuster the proposal, often calling out the Senate’s male majority.

Republican Senator Penry Gustafson highlighted her pro-life political history, but said the overly restrictive bill left “no room for empathy, reality, or graciousness”.

It’s a shocking outcome for a General Assembly that has seen regulations pass such as requiring patients to view an ultrasound before abortion procedures.

The 22-21 vote, aided by six Republicans, defeats any chance of the bill passing this year.

A Similar Story in Nebraska

For the second time, a so-called “heartbeat bill” failed to pass the Nebraska legislature, where abortion is currently legal until the 20th week of pregnancy.

At 32-15, the motion needed just one final vote to break the filibuster and end debate.

Somewhat surprisingly, it was the bill’s cosigners, Senator Merv Riepe, who abstained.

He previously expressed concern that a six-week ban would not give women enough time to learn of their pregnancy. He introduced an amendment to extend the ban to 12 weeks, but his fellow Republican colleagues pushed back against him.

In response, he took the mic and used his own election as a warning for them to heed.

In a four-person May primary, he received 45% of the vote, ending a full 27 points ahead of his nearest challenger.

But after the Supreme Court’s decision in June, against the same challenger – who pivoted to make abortion rights central to her campaign – Riepe’s margin of victory narrowed to just under 5 points.

“We must embrace the future of reproductive rights,” he said.