U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis ruled that abortions can continue in South Carolina during the Planned Parenthood lawsuit against the heartbeat bill. This was an extension to the previous ruling, made last month after the lawsuit was originally filed, that abortions could continue until March 19.
The heartbeat bill was signed by SC Gov. Henry McMaster last month. It prohibits doctors from performing an abortion if a heartbeat is detected during an ultrasound unless the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother, which could cause her severe and long-lasting health risks if the fetus is detected to be nonviable or if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest.
This bill was criticized by Senate Democrats as well as women and civil rights groups, including the reproductive health organization Planned Parenthood, with many calling out McMaster for potentially prioritizing stripping women’s rights during a pandemic that has affected the state negatively.
Planned Parenthood and their allies released a statement in conjunction with their lawsuit targeting South Carolina lawmakers for prioritizing anti-abortion legislation rather than legislation that would improve health care and disparities in the state. They also explained how six weeks is too early in most cases for women to know they are pregnant and how this bill targets those who are already struggling with accessing and affording health care during a pandemic. The organization, however, feels confident they can block it.
“This ban blatantly defies nearly 50 years of Supreme Court precedent protecting a person’s right to end a pregnancy,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights said in a statement. “Many states have passed similar bans in an attempt to send a Roe test case to the Supreme Court, but courts have blocked them all. Yet, the bans keep coming, even in the midst of a pandemic. This ban was the first bill filed in the South Carolina Senate this year. There is a new administration in the White House, but reproductive rights are still under attack across the country. We expect many more anti-abortion laws to be passed this year and we will be in court to stop them.”
Palmetto Family, a faith-based non-profit organization based in Columbia, believes that the bill has good footing for remaining law.
“Every bill passed by the South Carolina General Assembly is subject to challenges in the courts, and the Heartbeat Bill/Law would be no exception. However, Palmetto Family believes the South Carolina Heartbeat Bill stands a good chance of being upheld in its entirety when challenged in the courts,” said Joshua Putnam, president of Palmetto Family.
With both pro-life and pro-choice organizations feeling confident in their sides’ abilities to win the lawsuit, it is difficult to guess which one may end up coming out on top.
Winthrop students have their own opinions on the situation. Some appreciate the work Planned Parenthood is doing in the state, regardless of whether they plan on ever getting an abortion or not, and are hoping for pro-choice to come out on top.
“I am glad to see Planned Parenthood advocating for abortion rights. Many individuals do not even know that they are pregnant at six weeks and if they do know, chances are, they are not going to easily decide to have an abortion. You have to understand the pressure and the mental health struggle of having to make a choice like that. A choice that will forever affect your life, no matter the decision, should be fully processed and not rushed by law. Law will not change a person’s choice to abort and they have the right to safe healthcare no matter the circumstances,”
said Tanna Morrison, a junior psychology major.
“It saddens me to see that the decades of hard work and the progress of healthcare choices may be reversed. I do not know if Planned Parenthood will win the lawsuit to prevent this strict legislation, but I do know that abortions will continue to be practiced even if this law does go into effect. For this reason, people should be more concerned about access to safe healthcare. Individuals should have a choice. I personally would not get an abortion, but I am choosing for myself because that is my right. If someone decides that an abortion is the best for their life, trust me, this decision was not made lightly and they deserve to be respected and understood no matter what.”
With the state’s political climate, however, it is difficult to predict whether or not this lawsuit will succeed or fail in getting the heartbeat bill thrown out.
“I think it is ridiculous that the government is trying to regulate people’s bodies, especially with something as serious and permanent as pregnancy. I really hope that this lawsuit succeeds in striking down the heartbeat bill, but since South Carolina is such a conservative state, it is hard to predict which way the lawsuit will go,” said Emilee Kellett, a junior theatre performance major.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Abortion is a popular topic in today’s political climate that can be argued one way or the other, but it is important to respect differing beliefs. In the coming weeks, it is expected the result of this lawsuit will come to fruition.
