#Abortion ban rejected in South Carolina after GOP women join filibuster

The South Carolina state Senate rejected a near-total abortion ban on Thursday, after the chamber’s five female lawmakers led a multiday filibuster against the bill.

Three Republicans, a Democrat and an Independent joined together as the only five women in the state Senate to block the legislation, which sought to ban abortion from conception with exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies and to save the life of the mother. 

The bill ultimately failed in a 22-21 vote on Thursday. This is the third time that a near-total abortion ban has failed to pass the Republican-majority chamber since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last June.

“The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words,” Republican state Sen. Sandy Senn said, according to The Associated Press.

Senate Republican Leader Shane Massey had previously warned that there was not enough support to pass such legislation, a local NBC affiliate reported.

“I think we all kind of knew where this was headed,” Massey said. “But look, we wanted to give it our best shot. We gave it our best shot.”

Abortion remains legal in South Carolina through 22 weeks. However, the state Senate passed a bill earlier this year banning abortion at around six weeks. The South Carolina House has so far declined to take up the bill.