New bill introduced The death penalty could be imposed by the South Carolina House of Representatives for those who have had an abortion.
South Carolina Republican Representative Rob Harris proposed an amendment to the state’s criminal code which would allow individuals that get an abortion to be punished the same as if they were committing a homicide.
The amendment would add that a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus at any stage of development is included whenever “person” is referenced in the criminal code.
The bill states that if the “victim” is an unborn child then “enforcement is subject to the same presumptions, defenses, justifications, laws of parties, immunities, and clemencies as would apply to the homicide of a person who had been born alive.”
People who perform abortions may be accused of homicide and could face death penalty if the bill is passed.
“My bill does not single out women,” Rep. Harris Submitted HuffPost. “It prohibits everyone from committing murder. It provides the same due process that everyone enjoys under our current laws.”
It is called the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act 2023. Although it was co-sponsored by 23 people, some members asked to be removed from the bill at the end of February. So, now there are 15 co-sponsors.
Rep. Randy Ligon, one of the representatives that was initially a co-sponsor but later requested to be removed, told HuffPost, “I did not understand that this was included in this bill,” he said. “I do not support capital punishment for women that terminate their pregnancy. I do not stand by this part of the legislation.”
Although the controversial bill was originally proposed January 1, it was sent to the House Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
Representative of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Responded to the Republican-led bill saying “The GOP is rotten to its core, and far too many lawmakers that hold these extreme views are in positions of power.”
“Given the opportunity, these Republican lawmakers would kill a woman for exercising her reproductive freedom,” said DLCC spokesperson Gabrielle Chew. “If it was up to the Republican Party, Americans would have no say over their own bodies and reproductive freedom would be banned across the country.”