Columbia, S.C. — The South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee on Tuesday declined to advance Senate Bill 323, which would have banned all abortion in the state, threatened access to IVF and contraception, criminalized healthcare providers, and restricted free speech.
“This is an enormous victory for reproductive freedom and for the people of South Carolina,” said Dr. Amalia Luxardo, CEO of the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN). “This outcome was made possible because thousands of South Carolinians stood up, spoke out, and refused to allow their rights and their futures to be stripped away.”
With S.323 unable to move forward, access to abortion, IVF, contraception, and community-based reproductive health support remains protected. Healthcare providers are spared from proposed criminal penalties, and free speech protections remain intact.
“Today’s decision affirms what we already know: when our communities take action, we can protect our rights and influence the direction of our state,” Luxardo said. “This is people power at its strongest.”