South Carolina’s “sister senators” talk about their opposition to abortion ban bill
After months of fighting, the South Carolina Senate passed a bill on Tuesday. Ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The bill includes some exceptions, including rape and adultery provisions that are available for up to 12 weeks.
Gov. Henry McMaster said he would sign the bill as soon as possible. Once signed into law, Virginia will remain the only state in the South with relatively unrestricted access to abortion — up to 26 weeks of pregnancy.
Only five women in the state Senate, who call themselves “sister senators,” united to oppose the six-week ban, which one Republican said was “about controlling women.”
“I cried this morning, actually, with — I feel like we had such a weight on our shoulders, not only in South Carolina, but in Florida, Georgia, the Southeast,” Sen. Sandy Sen, a Republican, said with tears in her eyes. took.”
“We’re all women. We’re all mothers. And, you know, it’s a very strong bond,” Independent Sen. Mia McLeod said.
“Never before in the history of our state have five women served at the same time,” McLeod added. “I am agree [women] are stronger than before. But we need help.”
“I would like to think that South Carolina can be a beacon for the fact that, yes, you can find common ground with people on the other side of the aisle,” said Democratic Sen. Margie Bright-Matthews.
Sen said she felt that “if we had three more women in addition to the Democrats, we would have been able to hold it.”
Senator Katrina Shelley, a Republican, agreed, saying, “We have to fight hard to keep our seats and to keep women and we have to get more women into the Senate.”
Republican Senator Penny Gustafson said her message to the country is that “you don’t have to be ugly to advance your platform, to advance your beliefs, to advance your legislation. No need to be controversial.”
When asked if he was optimistic, McLeod said “Yes, I am. Absolutely. We are warriors, we are all here because we are not afraid to fight.”
Shelly agreed. “Nobody got here easily,” he said.
“We live to fight another day,” said Democratic Senator Margie Bright-Matthews.
