RICHMOND, Va. —South Carolina has taken a significant step towards implementing stricter regulations on abortion, joining other Southern states in moving towards a near-total ban. If the legislation is passed, Virginia will stand out as an exception in the region, maintaining unrestricted access to abortions. The proposed bill in South Carolina aims to prohibit almost all abortions after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, a time when many women may not yet be aware of their pregnancy.

While the bill still needs to pass the state Senate, which previously rejected a similar proposal, it is expected to gain final approval next week. Moreover, North Carolina is set to enact a ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, following the successful override of the Democratic governor's veto by the Republican-controlled Legislature. It is worth noting that abortion is already banned or significantly restricted in several Southern states, with some states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, imposing bans throughout pregnancy. In Georgia, abortions are only permitted within the first six weeks of pregnancy.

Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican in Virginia, sought to implement a 15-week abortion ban during the state's legislative session. However, the proposal was defeated by the narrow Democratic majority in the state Senate. According to Victoria Cobb, president of the conservative Family Foundation of Virginia, the state's laws had deviated from those of neighboring states due to what she perceives as an extended period of "liberal influence."