Abortion is still legal up to 22 weeks in South Carolina!
May 31, 2023
BIG NEWS: The 6-week abortion ban that passed the South Carolina General Assembly has been BLOCKED by a judge, and abortion is still legal up to 22 weeks in South Carolina!
Last week was a very tough week, but we ended it with a sense of relief, gratitude, and determination for the ongoing fight ahead. On May 23rd, the South Carolina Senate voted to pass a dangerous and extreme 6-week abortion ban, and Governor McMaster signed it into law on May 25th. On May 26, a judge granted a preliminary injunction, which means this law cannot be enforced and will be blocked until the SC Supreme Court takes up the case
I want to thank you for your strength and determination as we fought together against this ban over many months. Thanks to you, we held off an abortion ban for nearly a year – longer than any other state in the Southeast. This is a testament to our strength and resolve.
The movement for reproductive freedom and gender justice is strong and growing in South Carolina. In the last year, we have mobilized thousands more people to get involved in the fight for reproductive freedom. We have changed hearts, minds, and votes. We have seen female legislators stand strong – from the Sister Senators in the House to the Mighty 8 women of the House. Even under immense pressure to pick politics over people, they chose to fight for you.
WREN will keep fighting, too – with you, and for you. We will work relentlessly to overthrow this harmful law and connect people to the care they need. We will also work with you to improve policies and systems in South Carolina. Together, we have already passed 6 pieces of proactive legislation, including the Paid Leave for Educators bill that was signed into law earlier this month. Our incredible organizing team is reaching new communities and building our strength together. All of this shows that progress is possible when we demand it and work for it.
I know many of you are exhausted, sad, and angry about what our legislators did this week. We hope you will rest and then reengage, knowing that you are valued and needed in the important, heartbreaking, and beautiful work of building a better South Carolina for all of us. Together, we are unstoppable.
Onward!
Ann Warner