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24-Hour Waiting Period
Passes in S.C. Part Four of Four (COLUMBIA, S.C. June 17, 2010) --In the wee hours of Thursday morning, June 17, 2010, an S.C. House and Senate conference committee forged a bi-partisan agreement on language that gives women contemplating an abortion 24 hours to review information that could lead her to choose life for her unborn child. South Carolina Citizens for Life had strongly objected to all attempts to weaken the Woman's Right to Know Act of 1995 by, for example, attempting to include exceptions for rape and incest and by forcing pregnancy care centers and pro-life physicians and medical facilities to perform and date stamp obstetric ultrasounds that could then be used by abortionists. "We did not lose a thing," said a tired but pleased Representative Greg Delleney, R-Chester, the champion of pro-life legislation and stalwart leader. "We preserved our gains. We improved the bill to include links to pregnancy care centers. There is an authentic 24-hour waiting period if someone downloads pro-life materials from the internet or receives the materials in the mail. There are links on the DHEC website to crisis pregnancy centers. This is a great victory." "You have a good law," said Mary Spaulding Balch, Director of State Legislation for the National Right to Life Committee. "You now have a real reflection period that can make a difference between life and death." The United State Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that states may constitutionally require a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion. All six members of the conference committee signed the report, according to Representative Delleney: House members, Representatives Delleney, Wendy Nanney, R-Greenville, and Ted Vic, D-Chesterfield, and Senators Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson, Jake Knotts, R-Lexington, and Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg. The Conference Committee language was supported by South Carolina Citizens for Life, the National Right to Life Committee, the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Palmetto Family Council. The new language enhances the current Woman's Right to Know Act of 1995 by: --Creating an authentic 24-hour waiting period. --Providing internet links on the State Department of Health and Environmental Control website to Pregnancy Care Center that offer free ultrasound. --Maintaining the one-hour waiting period between the time the abortionist performs an ultrasound and the abortion. Faye Hill, director of the Lowcountry Pregnancy Care Center said, "This is definitely a victory for the women of South Carolina and pregnancy care centers in being able to get information out about services we can provide." "I think this is another example of legislation assisting in guaranteeing that women have access to life-saving information," said Lisa Van Riper, President of South Carolina Citizens for Life. "We are proud as members of South Carolina Citizens for Life to have been on the front line of working with House and Senate members in providing support and information as they have enhanced a woman's right to know in South Carolina." Please send your comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com. |