**South Carolina Lawmakers Consider Nation’s Strictest Abortion Restrictions**
*COLUMBIA, S.C.* — South Carolina lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would impose some of the strictest abortion prohibitions and punishments in the United States. The proposal includes sending women who get abortions to prison for decades, outlawing intrauterine devices (IUDs), and sharply restricting in-vitro fertilization (IVF). However, opponents of the procedure remain divided over how far to go with restrictions.
The bill faces a long legislative path and uncertain prospects, even if it clears the state Senate subcommittee reviewing it. Yet, the measure, up for a second hearing on Tuesday, would go further than any legislation considered since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Abortion remains an unsettled issue in many conservative states, and South Carolina is no exception.
### What’s in the Bill?
The proposal seeks to ban all abortions unless the woman’s life is at risk, eliminating exceptions for rape and incest victims up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Currently, South Carolina law blocks abortions after cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks—often before many women even know they are pregnant.
The new bill would extend further than any other state’s legislation by proposing that women who get abortions, as well as anyone who assists them, could face up to 30 years in prison. Additionally, the proposal appears to ban any contraception that prevents a fertilized egg from implanting, effectively outlawing IUDs and potentially placing strict limits on in-vitro fertilization.
Providing information about abortions elsewhere would also be illegal, raising concerns among doctors who fear they might be unable to legally recommend or discuss abortion options with patients.
### Medical Community Raises Concerns
OB-GYN Natalie Gregory voiced strong opposition during an eight-hour public hearing last month, warning that passing such a bill would turn many medical discussions — from contraceptives and pregnancy loss to IVF options — into a “legal minefield.” She highlighted that healthcare providers could risk decades in prison simply by offering or discussing legally permissible care.
“It constitutes an unconstitutional reach that threatens the very fabric of health care in our state,” Gregory said, calling the proposal both a waste of time and taxpayer money.
### Divisions Among Abortion Opponents
Interestingly, the bill has created rifts among groups that oppose abortion. South Carolina Citizens for Life, one of the state’s largest and oldest anti-abortion organizations, issued a statement during last month’s hearing opposing the bill. The group argued that women who get abortions are victims and should not be criminally punished.
On the other side are organizations like Equal Protection South Carolina. Its founder, Mark Corral, stated unequivocally, “Abortion is murder and should be treated as such.”
### A Historical Messaging Divide
Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California at Davis who has extensively studied abortion laws, explained that this divide stems from longstanding messaging within the anti-abortion movement. Traditionally, the movement has labeled abortion as murder while avoiding advocating criminal penalties for women who seek abortions.
Ziegler uses the term “abolitionists” to describe groups pushing for harsher penalties and restrictions. She noted their increasing influence in reshaping laws in conservative states and shifting the broader political climate, allowing them to promote ideas that may lack widespread public support but have captured lawmakers’ attention.
“It’s not going to go away. The trajectory keeps shifting and the abolitionists have more influence,” Ziegler said.
She also pointed out that the nation’s social and political landscapes are moving in a more conservative direction, with renewed debates over issues like same-sex marriage and gender roles. This shift has created “more breathing room for abolitionists,” making it easier to introduce restrictive bills that might have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.
### What’s Next for the Bill?
A similar House bill last year received a public hearing but failed to progress further. At the time, Republican House leaders expressed satisfaction with the existing state law, and the bill stalled.
The Senate environment, however, is less stable. Nine of the 34 Senate Republicans were elected after the current law passed, including three who unseated the chamber’s only Republican women — a trio known as the “Sister Senators” who helped block attempts at stricter abortion bans.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Richard Cash, is one of the Senate’s most vocal opponents of abortion and will lead Tuesday’s subcommittee hearing. He has acknowledged concerns about the bill’s potential impacts on contraception and the doctor-patient relationship but has not indicated what changes he or his colleagues might support.
Of the nine subcommittee members, six are Republicans. Despite this, GOP Senate leaders have indicated there is no guarantee the bill will move beyond the subcommittee stage.
“I can say this definitively: there has been not only no decision made to bring up that bill, there’s been no discussion about bringing up that bill,” Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said.
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As this contentious debate unfolds, South Carolina continues to grapple with evolving abortion laws amid a deeply divided political and social landscape. The coming weeks will likely determine how far the state is willing to go in restricting reproductive rights and imposing legal penalties.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/national/2025/11/16/south-carolina-looks-at-most-restrictive-abortion-bill-in-the-us-as-opponents-keep-pushing-limits/