South Carolina’s Taxpayers Will Not Have to Pay for Abortions in Rape Cases

A budgetary rule approved by South Carolina’s Senate subcommittee confirms that the state taxpayers will not have to pay for abortions in cases of rapes and incest unless the life of the mother is in danger. Sponsored by Senator Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson, the rule will start as a temporary measure for a period of one year and will apply to more than 417,000 people who come under the state’s health insurance plan, reports thestate.com. Senator Bryant said that the rule will protect the interests of the unborn child which he said is a victim.

However the rule has come under criticism with experts pointing out that it would not have prevented the state from paying out on the last six state sponsored abortions, all of which were carried out to save the life of the mother.

Senator Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, also said that the rule also ignores the rights of victims of rape or incest and instead punishes them for a second time. “They are saying, ‘We don’t care about victims of crime’. It really penalizes victims for a second time”, he said.



Source-Medindia