Abortion Bans Fail in Nebraska and S. Carolina
Facts
- Two bills restricting abortion in South Carolina and Nebraska failed to advance through their state's respective Republican-dominated legislatures on Thursday.1
- In Nebraska, a vote to end the debate so the bill could advance in the legislature failed by one vote. In South Carolina, senators rejected a bill that would have banned nearly all abortions in the state.2
- The Nebraska proposal to ban abortion after around the sixth week of pregnancy is unlikely to move forward this year after the vote failed to break a filibuster.3
- Meanwhile, the 22-21 vote on Thursday in South Carolina marks the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed in the state Republican-led chamber since the US Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last year.4
- Abortion in South Caroline is currently legal through 22 weeks, a status that has drawn patients throughout the region, as abortion laws have become increasingly restrictive. The number of out-of-state patients has risen since the state supreme court struck down a 2021 law.2
- Fourteen states have bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where courts block enforcement.5
Sources: 1Axios, 2Guardian, 3NPR Online News, 4CBS, and 5Associated Press.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by NPR Online News. The failure of these two bills is a victory for women's rights campaigners nationwide. This gives hope that the restrictive policies that have been enacted toward reproductive rights could be turned around.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. The failure of these bills to advance is a frustrating setback. The vast majority of the constituents of these states support these bills aimed at protecting the most vulnerable, and the lawmakers should have followed suit and passed them.