South Carolina Panel Passes Professional-Life Bill to Cease Mail-Order Abortion Medicine

By a vote Wednesday of 3-2 along party lines, the bill H. 4760 to regulate abortion-inducing drugs advanced from the Constitutional Laws Subcommittee to the full S.C. House Judiciary Committee.

The proposed law elevates abortion-inducing drugs from “prescription only” (such as antibiotics) to a “scheduled drug” (drugs with a high potential for abuse) and establishes criminal and civil penalties for unlawfully mailing, dispensing, and providing women with an abortion-inducing drug.

Under the leadership of Subcommittee Chairman Wallace “Jay” Jordan, Jr., R-Florence, nearly two hours of testimony was heard for and against the life-protecting measure. Lisa Van Riper, president of South Carolina Citizens for Life, emphasized that the law protects a woman’s right to information about abortion, alternatives to abortion, and medical supervision by a doctor
licensed to practice in South Carolina. South Carolina law requires an abortionist to be licensed in South Carolina, obtain informed consent from a woman seeking abortion, examine her in person, perform an ultrasound, and offer information on alternatives to abortion. Mail-order abortion drugs circumvent South Carolina’s protective laws, Mrs. Van Riper said.

South Carolina Citizens for Life provided written testimony in favor of the law from pro-life doctors, nurses, counselors and moral educators. Testimony in favor of the law also was given by former State Representative Garry Smith; Dr. Tony Beam, Director of Church and Community Engagement at North Greenville University and the Public Policy Director of the S.C. Southern Baptist Convention; and Dr. Steve Pettit, President of Palmetto Family.

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Those speaking against the bill included staff from the abortion giant Planned Parenthood that operates two facilities in South Carolina. One is in Charleston and the other in Columbia. Voting in favor of H. 4760 were Subcommittee Chairman Jordan, R-Florence, Rep. Weston Newton, R-Beaufort, a chief sponsor of the bill and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Cody T. Mitchell, R-Darlington. Voting against the bill were Representatives Justin Bamburg, D-Bamburg, and Spencer Wetmore, D-Charleston.

Wednesday’s hearing coincided with a hearing in the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee exposing how the Biden administration’s expansion of mail-order chemical abortion drugs is endangering women and undermining state laws designed to protect life.

“Yesterday’s hearing confirmed what we are seeing across the country: abortion drugs are being pushed on women with no meaningful medical oversight, no accountability, and no regard for state law,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life of which SCCL is the state affiliate. “Mail-order abortion is not health care. It is a reckless expedient that puts women at risk and leaves families to deal with the consequences.”

Chairman Jordan said the South Carolina bill is scheduled be heard by the full Judiciary Committee next Tuesday or Wednesday.

If your State Representative is a member of the S.C. House Judiciary Committee, please contact him or her and express your support for H 4760 to stop mail-order abortion drugs from coming into South Carolina.

LifeNews Note: Holly Gatling is the executive director for South Carolina Citizens for Life.