(Columbia) - The South Carolina house has given key approval to a bill that would require women seeking abortions to view an ultrasound first.
The bill passed a second reading Wednesday. A third, usually formality third reading will take place later.
If this bill is passed, it would be the first of its kind in the nation.
Rep. Greg Delleney (R-Chester and York Counties), is the bill's key sponsor. "I'm just trying to save lives and protect people from regret and inform women with the most accurate non-judgemental information that can be provided," he says.
Currently, there is already a South Carolina law requiring women to pass prerequisites before abortions, including reviewing abortion information and undergoing a waiting period. Still, Delleney says women need more information to make a final decision.
"From the calls I've gotten, I think some people wished there was an ultrasound requirement at the time they underwent the abortion procedure," he said.
But Delleney's ideas are meeting a lot of opposition from several organizations, as well as other lawmakers, such as Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg County). She says it's too extreme.
"I see it as some kind of emotional blackmail, and I think we're putting an undue burden on our healthcare providers and on folk who are providing those services," Cobb-Hunter said.
She also says it creates privacy issues and doesn't give women credit that they can make their own reproductive decisions. "The supporters of this legislation seem to believe that women enter into this decision blindly or without a lot of thought."
The measure now goes to the Senate.
3/21/2007 3:56:35 PM
