DING DONG

Abortion Bans Flame Out in Two Red States After Republicans Defect

“Once a woman became pregnant for any reason, she would now become property of the state of South Carolina,” said a Republican who voted against one of the bills.

Bills seeking to severely limit abortion access failed to pass in two Republican-dominated states on Thursday, indicating a seeming retreat from the scorched-earth approach the party has taken since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June, according to CNN. In Nebraska, a “heartbeat bill” seeking to ban abortions after six weeks failed to overcome a legislative filibuster, after two state senators—including a co-signer of the bill—abstained from voting. Later in the day, the South Carolina Senate voted narrowly to block a bill seeking to ban abortion completely in the state, with three major Republican defections providing the necessary votes. Both bills contained exceptions for rape and incest. “Once a woman became pregnant for any reason, she would now become property of the state of South Carolina if the ‘Human Life Protection Act’ were [to] come into law,” said a Republican lawmaker who voted against the bill. Recent polls show abortion to be a losing issue for Republicans, with a clear majority of Americans believing it should be legal in the early stages of pregnancy.