A South Carolina state House budget panel approved a measure Monday that would end health insurance payments for pregnant victims of rape or incest who seek abortions. According to the Times and Democrat, Democrats on the panel were “stunned” by the measure. House Minority Leader Harry Ott (D) asked state Representative Rex Rice, who authored the measure, if his wife’s life was in danger and an abortion would save her, “you would not want my health insurance to do what my doctor said was needed in order to save my wife’s life?” Rice responded, “I don’t believe we ought to be funding abortions with the state health plan,” reported the Times and Democrat. Rice proposed a similar measure last year, but the provision was not included in the state’s final budget, reported the Palmetto Scoop. South Carolina currently requires women seeking an abortion get counseling on the mental health impact of their decision and obtain parental consent for women under the age of 17, with the only exceptions being medical emergencies and instances of abuse, assault, incest, or neglect, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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