By a final vote of 30-13, the South Carolina Senate gave third and final reading to the Fetal Heartbeat Bill (S1) moving forward to the SC House of Representatives.
“This is probably one of the most overwhelming votes I’ve taken in 24 years of being in the South Carolina Senate,” said Senator Larry Groom, R-Berkeley, chief sponsor of S1, the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act. “I love the Lord, I love my State, and I’ve been fighting for the unborn since before I got here.
“Having 29 other Senators join with me in the most significant pro-life vote ever to occur in the South Carolina Senate, it is simply overwhelming,” Senator Grooms said. “Knowing the implication for the lives that will be saved is hard to fully comprehend.” See Senator Groom’s full statement on Facebook here.
The bill gives a pregnant woman the right to know her baby has a heartbeat and gives her the right to hear the heartbeat. The bill also protects most unborn children with a beating heart from death by abortion. The bill actually picked up support on third reading. On Wednesday the second reading of the bill passed by a vote of 29-17 with all members voting. On third reading one Democrat, Kent Williams of Marion County changed his vote from no to yes and three senators who voted against the bill on Wednesday had excused absences during third reading.
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See how your Senator voted here.
The Fetal Heartbeat Bill now moves to the South Carolina House of Representatives where it could get its first hearing as early as Wednesday, Feb. 3 in the House Judiciary Constitutional Laws subcommittee. Representative John McCravy, R-Greenwood, and chairman of the House Family Caucus expressed optimism for the bill to become law.
The Fetal Heartbeat bill “is in familiar territory in the House,” Representative McCravy said. “We passed it before and we will pass it again.” See Representative McCravy’s full statement on Facebook here.
In a press conference at the State House Wednesday, Governor Henry McMaster pledged to sign the Fetal Heartbeat Bill when it gets to his desk, and Speaker of the House Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, pledged his support to getting the bill to the Governor.
LifeNews Note: Holly Gatling is the executive director for South Carolina Citizens for Life.
