South Carolina Moves Toward Passing the Most Extreme Abortion Ban in America

At a public hearing on Wednesday, one OB-GYN said that the proposed bill "constitutes an unconstitutional reach that threatens the very fabric of health care in our state."

By Danielle Han  |  October 1, 2025 | 1:57pm
Photo: Getty Images Politics
South Carolina Moves Toward Passing the Most Extreme Abortion Ban in America

On Wednesday, South Carolina lawmakers held a hearing to consider Senate Bill 323—which, if passed, would mean the state would have the most extreme abortion ban in the country. The hearing, which hosted more than 300 people, was maddening, difficult to watch, and stuffed with religious zealots—and not just from the public. To kick things off, the Senate committee bowed their heads in solemn prayer. Vainly and plainly, Jesus Christ.

As of 2023, South Carolina bans the procedure at six weeks, meaning the state is already home to one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. But SB 323, which was introduced in February, would amend the “Unborn Child Protection Act” to completely ban abortion by eliminating exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and fetal defects, and criminalizing abortion as homicide. It also threatens anyone who terminates their pregnancy or anyone who helps someone get an abortion, which includes physicians and healthcare workers, with up to 30 years in prison. It would also affect access to birth control and IVF, and impact sex education in schools.

Wednesday’s hearing is only the first step before the bill is considered by the Senate and then the House. But the state has been trying to pass an abortion ban for a while now, making the move all the more alarming.

The legislation was introduced by GOP Senators Rex F. Rice, Billy Garrett, and Richard Cash—the latter of whom once compared the fight against abortion rights to the fight against abolishing slavery. He also said teenagers should not have access to birth control. 

The hearing was held by a subcommittee of South Carolina’s Senate Medical Affairs Committee—and a gaggle of anti-abortion clergynuts spoke, most of whom used biblical jargon to get their point across. Speaking directly to the senators, one pastor said: “We are praying for you, that you would by the strength of God, do what’s right simply because it’s right.” Another called abortion “murder” and called on his fellow “delegated bearer[s] of justice” before demanding penance from the whole room. “Please repent, submit to Christ and establish justice for our pre-born neighbors.” 

Terrifyingly, many who spoke at the hearing also testified that they believed SB 323 still wasn’t strict enough. John Rice-Cameron, a known anti-abortion activist, said that while the “bill would be the strongest anti abortion law in America if passed,” he still believes there are two amendments to be added. One, he says, is that the bill should legally classify abortion as murder and provide equal protection to fetuses—the ultimate goal of the fetal personhood movement. The other, to redefine how the state talks about IVF—because, as he says, “the current language leaves children conceived in IVF unprotected.”

Dr. Natalie Gregory, the only OB-GYN on the Board of Medical Examiners in South Carolina, said the “bill is not only a waste of our time and taxpayer dollars, but it constitutes an unconstitutional reach that threatens the very fabric of health care in our state. Shame on Senators Cash, Rice, and Garrett for introducing this legislation.” 

Another healthcare worker said that because the bill could incriminate anyone who aids or abets abortions with a criminal charge, it could impact physicians’ ability to provide information on safely and legally obtaining an abortion. “This is a horrific breach of the sacred physician-patient relationship,” she said. 

Many of the people who showed up to urge a “no” vote were also mothers who previously had to receive emergency, life-saving abortions. One spoke about her experience of losing her pregnancy at 20 weeks, after a scan revealed a fetal defect. Because of South Carolina’s abortion ban, she had to travel out of state for an abortion, leaving behind her children, doctors, and community. “I was sitting in an airport, bleeding and broken,” she said. “If SB 323 had been law, then the trauma would have been worse.”

Another testified to having to receive an emergency procedure because of her preeclampsia in 2020, saying that her physicians were able to act quickly and without threat of prosecution. “Because of their swift actions, I am still here to talk to you today.” She, and 6,000 others, have signed a petition by Action Network to stop the bill.

In a statement following the hearing, CEO of the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network, Amalia Luxardo, called it “dangerous beyond anything we’ve seen before. It doesn’t just ban abortion. It criminalizes doctors, censors information, and even opens the door for lawsuits against anyone who helps a pregnant person.”

Throughout this year, at least 10 states (including South Carolina) have tried to introduce legislation that would make abortion murder. But the Palmetto State could be the first, as lawmakers are prepared to shove it through the Republican-controlled chambers. 

“The fact that I have to stand here today and beg you to stop this cruel bill breaks my heart,” one South Carolinian said at the hearing. “This bill will leave South Carolina in shambles and set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the country. For the sake of every woman in this state and everyone who loves them, I beg you to please stop Senate Bill 323.”

Like what you just read? You’ve got great taste. Subscribe to Jezebel, and for $5 a month or $50 a year, you’ll get access to a bunch of subscriber benefits, including getting to read the next article (and all the ones after that) ad-free. Plus, you’ll be supporting independent journalism—which, can you even imagine not supporting independent journalism in times like these? Yikes.

 
Join the discussion...