With abortion ban rejected, SC female senators want more women in politics
A three-day debate over South Carolina’s abortion ban has ended.
The Senate rejected the ban, but there have been a few changes.
One thing that’s changed is “time” for victims of sexual assault.
“The result of this legislation as it changes what happened in the house before you had 20 weeks to report a rape and incest in order to get an abortion- now, that’s been reduced to 12 weeks,” says Senator for District 45, Margie Bright Matthews.
Doctors who perform those abortions will be required to provide DNA to police for updates.
Sen. Matthews says without the four other female senators by her side, she was worried about women’s rights in the state.
“There are certain issues that I think our voices are needed on the floor, and we knew that on this one, without even asking each other, that we would walk step in step together,” continued Matthews.
Sen. Sandy Senn says when it comes to the topic of abortion, she feels like legislation is moving backward.
“I realize it’s a hot-button issue, but people of all parties are going to have sex, and we cannot let things go back to the 1950s where people were dying. Just after the decision of Roe was announced, in Spartanburg, a young 18-year-old hemorrhaged to death using a coat hanger,” said Senn.
Both women hope that crucial debates like abortion will push more women into politics.
“Well really, I just think the only way we are going to overcome something like this and these unreasonable intrusions is to have more women run for office, that’s what we need. I don’t care, Republican or Democrat, women work well together, we think differently, and we get things done a lot faster,” continued Senn.
A Conference Committee will be created to look at the Senate and House bill in an effort to reach a compromise. The bill will die if they cannot come to a compromise.