The South Carolina Senate rejected a total ban on state-insured abortions Wednesday

[Are_grits_groceries]

S.C. Senate rejects House measure
Senators vote 24-17 against total ban on S.C. insurance payments for abortions

The South Carolina Senate rejected a total ban on state-insured abortions Wednesday, opting to continue to allow coverage in the cases of rape, incest or if the life of the mother is at stake.

The House budget banned the state health insurance plan, which covers state employees as well as most teachers and local government employees, from covering the cost of any abortion procedure. Last year the state covered a half-dozen abortions, all because the life of the mother was at stake.

While House lawmakers debated the change into the early morning hours, the Senate dealt with the question quickly. Senators voted against a total ban by a 24-17 vote.

"It still has a shot because of the conference committee," said the amendment's sponsor, Sen. David Thomas, R-Greenville and a candidate for Congress, of the final budget negotiations between the House and Senate to be held later this year. The House, Thomas said, had already vetted the abortion debate.

Democrats said the proposal could further punish women who had been target of crime.

Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2010/04/29/1264514/sc-senate-rejects-house-measure.html#ixzz0mTiHcI7Z

SC no longer leads the way in legislative insanity. I'm sure they will find some way in the near future to take back that position.

However, compare this with the Oklahoma abortion measure.