“Haley Would’ve Signed Six Week Abortion Ban in South Carolina if Still Governor
South Carolina’s current governor, Haley, has recently voiced that, if she were still the governor of the state, she would sign a six-week abortion ban which would be among the strictest in the nation. The ban has been voted on but was eventually vetoed by her successor, Gov. McMaster.
Haley’s announcement was very much in line with her long-held stance on abortion, which generally leans towards supporting efforts to limit abortions. Last year she vetoed a bill that would have required a three-day waiting period before the mother agrees to an abortion in the state.
Despite her detractors’ assertions that such bans are outright unconstitutional, Haley believes if signed, this six-week abortion ban would be passed as constitutional law – a belief that has been echoed by a number of pro-life state legislators.
Supporters of the six-week abortion ban have tried to explain away the constitutional worries as a measure of being underestimated. According to the bill’s language, the original wording of the heart beat requirement was inserted to consider the state’s ability to survive a court challenge. Additionally, the bill included an exception for cases of rape and/or incest.
In the most recent House vote, the bill passed largely along party lines, with nearly all Republicans voting in favor. Governor McMaster was the one to eventually veto the bill amidst warnings from the American Civil Liberties Union and other pro-choice organizations that it would be unconstitutional. The Governor also cited the estimated fiscal plight it could have caused for South Carolina taxpayers should the state end up challenging the bill’s constitutionality in court.
The consequences of the veto were mostly welcomed by pro-choice activists in the state as well as nationally, as they consider the six-week abortion ban to be a violation of women’s rights and, by default, the right of women to make the best decision for their health and their lives.
For her part, Haley has stated that she will not be running for governor once her term ends in 2019 and certainly will not be seeking re-election. However, if she were to resume her role as the state’s leader, she has made it clear that she would not hesitate to sign such a six-week abortion ban. Consequently, her stance on the issue may remain a point of contention until the term of the new governor is up.