South Carolina lawmakers are considering amendments to the state’s criminal code that would make abortions punishable by death.
As part of the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023, a fertilized egg would be defined as a “person” under state law and entitled to equal protection under the state’s homicide laws and death penalty regulations at the point of conception.
There will be an exception for women who underwent an abortion “because she was compelled to do so by the threat of imminent death or great bodily injury.” Or, if needed to save a mother’s life “when all reasonable alternatives to save the life of the unborn child were attempted, or none were available.”
Rep. Nancy Mace’s statement last week criticized her party for restricting abortion rights, noting that the bill does not make an exception for rape or incest.
“To see this debate go to the dark places, the dark edges, where it has gone on both sides of the aisle, have been deeply disturbing to me as a woman, as a female legislator, as a mom, and as a victim of rape,” Mace said.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Republican-led states passed legislation to restrict access to abortions and criminalize them. South Carolina’s bill is only the latest in this pattern.
According to a New York Times tracker, at least 18 states have outright banned abortions, and only eight were overruled.
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