5 South Carolina Senators
Block passage of abortion rights abolition bill
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 7th that five female senators from the South Carolina state legislature, which has strong conservative tendencies, united bipartisanly to protect abortion rights. South Carolina currently legalizes abortion up to 22 weeks of gestation. They repeatedly tried to stop the opposition Republican-majority legislature from trying to pass a bill that effectively outlawed abortion.
The five, who call themselves the “Sister Senators,” are Republicans Sandy Sen, Katrina Seeley, and Penry Gustafson; the ruling Democratic Party’s Marge Bright Mathews; All five have disclosed that they have experienced pregnancy and that this influenced their decision to support abortion rights.
In June of last year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Law v Wade decision that guaranteed the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation. Since then, 19 of the 50 states have followed the Supreme Court’s ruling and introduced laws that prohibit abortion or make it more difficult than the current state law. The South Carolina legislature also tried again and again to pass an abortion rights repeal bill. This attempt was repeatedly thwarted by these five people.
On the 28th of last month, they also blocked the bill banning abortion from the beginning of conception with 22 votes in favor and 21 votes against. The state senate has 46 seats, and at least 24 are needed to pass a bill.
In particular, 3 out of 5 Republicans do not pay attention to the criticism of male Republicans that they are ‘traitors against the party’. Out of the five, Congressman Seeley, who has the most experience in politics, said, “The decision to have an abortion must be made by the pregnant woman, her partner, and the medical team. It is not a decision made by a member of the state legislature,” he said. Congressman Gustafson said they were not ‘pro-abortion’, but ‘respect for life’.
Sen said she feels particularly proud when older women express their support or send small donations to them. Rep. McCloud also revealed that she had recently been told to “thank you for your work.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.