A newly introduced bill in the South Carolina Statehouse aims to define the beginning of life at conception and classify individuals involved in an abortion as committing murder.
“It defines life as beginning at conception, and it protects every unborn child from that point so that nobody is left behind. We’re trying to make sure that abortion is completely outlawed in South Carolina,” said District 38 Rep. Josiah Magnuson.
The objectives outlined in the recently introduced South Carolina House Bill 3537 are as follows. It would define life as beginning at conception, categorizing the termination of a pregnancy, regardless of the stage, as a criminal act punishable by murder charges.
The suggested legislation is facing criticism from House officials, notably House Democratic Party Leader Todd Rutherford.
“I hope it does not reach the floor, and I hope it doesn’t reach the floor because it is not well thought out. It is ill-conceived, and it could lead to any number of bad things happening to women in this state, again, who should have a relationship with their doctor that is strictly between the two of them,” he said.
He outlined potential legal challenges that could arise if this were to be approved.
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“We already have a six-week ban. What they want to do is take it to the point of inception and, in doing so, mess with all kinds of laws, including criminal and civil laws. Because if life begins at inception, nobody has ever created that in a legal framework before. So nobody has any idea how that’s going to end up,” he says.
Rutherford expresses concern over the potential for severe penalties for women pursuing an abortion.
“If a fetus at inception [conception] is a child, the death of that fetus could potentially lead to someone getting the death penalty in South Carolina for violating this law,” he says.
Magnuson indicates that, if approved, the legislation would probably include several modifications.
“I can tell you that there’s never been a pro-life bill, at least in the last years that I’ve been serving, that has passed without, particularly carving out, exceptions for medical emergencies,” he said.
He did not clarify if those convicted under the proposed legislation would face capital punishment.
“This bill does not dictate what penalties have to be meted out. That would be something which, as for any homicide case, would be the jurisdiction of the court system,” he adds. “We’re not going to see any sort of investigations of miscarriages and things. That’s something that comes up sometimes; there’s no way to prove that a miscarriage was an abortion, and so you’re never going to see a prosecutor try to prove that.”
Rutherford emphasizes that the legislation underscores radical perspectives within the state legislature as we approach the upcoming session in 2025.
