After a Federal court ruled this week a ban on abortions after 20 weeks is unconstitutional, advocates on both sides are taking a closer look at South Carolina’s law.
The Palmetto State also has a law that makes most abortions after 20 weeks illegal. It went into affect in May of 2016. And so far it has not been challenged.
But now that a Federal judge has struck down the similar ban in North Carolina, pro choice advocates say it’s more likely that will change.
The federal court’s decision to strike down North Carolina’s 20 week abortion ban as unconstitutional comes at a crucial time for advocates on both sides, in South Carolina.
“The court just struck down a 20 week ban and now SC legislatures are trying to inact a 6 week ban, so our lawmakers should understand that that is very unconstitutional,“ said Ashley Lidow with Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN).
Lidow says even if the 20 week ban in the Palmetto state is not challenged she believes it’s far less likely South Carolina lawmakers will succeed in passing what’s being called the heartbeat bill.
That legislation, in a house subcommittee right now, would ban abortions after a heartbeat can be heard as early as six weeks.
But if you ask pro life advocates like Alexia Newman the Executive Director of Carolina Pregnancy Center, it’s the pro choice advocates who are trying to chip away at the legal protection of a child.
“For me it just makes me more resolute, it makes me more determined that nomatter what NC does, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep fighting,“ said Newman.
Just this year 11 states have introduced fetal heartbeat legislation including Texas and Florida, and last week Missisppi’s governor signed its heartbeat bill into law.
But those stricter bans face mounting opposition.
Some Pro life advocates say the end goal is to trigger a legal challenge at the Surpreme Court level to overturn Roe v Wade.
The judge gave NC lawmakers 60 days to change the abortion law or appeal the ruling.
