South Carolina Republicans are poised to reignite controversy by reintroducing a bill that equates abortion with homicide, punishable by death under state law. State Rep. Rob Harris (R) pre-filed the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act, which seeks to redefine “person” in the state’s criminal code to include “an unborn child at any stage of development.” If enacted, the bill would ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization, labeling them as homicide.
South Carolina’s current six-week abortion ban could be overshadowed by this proposed legislation, which carries penalties ranging from 30 years in prison to life imprisonment or execution under certain circumstances. The bill makes exceptions for miscarriages and life-saving procedures, but critics argue these are largely symbolic.
Harris introduced a similar bill in 2023, triggering widespread backlash and prompting several co-sponsors to withdraw their support. While the 2023 version ultimately stalled, Harris defended the bill, stating, “My bill does not single out women. It prohibits everyone from committing murder. It provides the same due process that everyone enjoys under our current laws.”
The 2024 version of the bill has six co-sponsors, all members of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus. However, opposition remains strong. Vicki Ringer, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic’s director of public affairs, criticized the measure, saying, “I think that the majority of people, even the most strident Republicans, would say the death penalty bill is not where we want to go with abortion.”
Ringer also highlighted the broader implications of the bill, emphasizing its exclusionary nature. “I don’t know who is getting equal protection, but it appears in South Carolina that only fetuses and embryos get equal protection,” she said. “Women and trans people do not.”
While unlikely to pass, the bill highlights the extreme measures some lawmakers are willing to propose in the ongoing battle over abortion rights. Ringer urged the public not to overlook the significance of such legislation, despite its fringe support within the broader anti-abortion movement.
Link: Huffington Post
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