The Quickie: South Caroline Senate Advances Yet Another 6-Week Abortion Ban

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: SC Senate advances another 6-week abortion ban; decision in case threatening mife access now expected after 2/24; abortion rights defined the 2022 midterms and will shape 2024 too; Pew releases new research on online dating; and our weekly state fights recap.

SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE ADVANCES 6-WEEK ABORTION BAN… AGAIN: Yesterday, the South Carolina Senate passed a bill that would ban abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, which is before many people even know they are pregnant. The move comes one month after the state Supreme Court permanently blocked a nearly identical piece of legislation and just one day after the Court refused to rehear that same case. The bill now moves to the South Carolina House, where representatives are also considering a near-total ban. 

“South Carolina lawmakers are out of touch and are deliberately ignoring the needs of South Carolinians while they waste taxpayer money trying to pass a bill the state’s highest court just struck down,” said Vicki Ringer, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “In a state with already dangerously high rates of maternal and infant mortality, embarrassing health disparities for Black women and people of color, and a devastating shortage of doctors and nurses, I do not understand why our lawmakers are again rushing to force birth in a state where choosing to become a parent isn’t without consequence.”

Read more at WIS-TV.

DECISION IN CASE THREATENING FDA APPROVAL OF MIFEPRISTONE NOW EXPECTED AFTER 2/24: Last night, the judge deciding a case that seeks to end FDA approval for mifepristone announced that the plaintiffs now have until February 24 to respond to briefs, meaning that the earliest this case can be decided is February 24. 

Mifepristone, which has been FDA approved for more than two decades, is under attack by anti-abortion extremists whose ultimate goal is to end abortion entirely nationwide. This case could significantly compromise access to medication abortion across the country.

Read more from the Guardian here and CNBC here. 

ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVISTS DOUBLE DOWN ON LOSING POLITICAL STRATEGY: Last week, the Republican National Committee (RNC) passed a resolution doubling down on its anti-abortion policies going into the 2024 elections. However, as Los Angeles Times columnist Mark Z. Barabak wrote yesterday, as a political strategy, “the resolution made precisely zero sense.” 

The 2022 midterms were a massive win for reproductive rights champions and for abortion rights at the ballot box. Turnout for demographics that strongly support abortion rights like women and young people surged, abortion was rated as the most important issue after inflation by voters in multiple exit polls, and abortion rights advocates won all six ballot initiative fights last year. Some anti-abortion groups suggested that candidates had not been bullish enough on restricting abortion rights, but as Barabak points out, many candidates that were openly and staunchly anti-abortion still lost. 

Read the full column at the LA Times. 

IT’S A MATCH: PEW RELEASES NEW RESEARCH ON ONLINE DATING: Last week, Pew Research Center published a new report on online dating, complete with highlights and lowlights of people’s experiences and perspectives. Below are a few of the key findings:

• Three in ten adults have reported using a dating site or app, which has held constant since 2019. When looking at sexual orientation, lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are more likely to have used an online dating service compared to their straight counterparts (51% versus 28%).
• People are roughly divided on whether they would describe their experiences on these platforms as positive or negative, with 53% describing the experience as somewhat positive and 46% as somewhat negative. Men are more likely to describe their experiences as positive (57%) than women (48%).
• Americans are split on the safety of online dating. 48% say that online dating is generally a very or somewhat safe way to meet people, a dip from 2019 (53%). Women are more likely than men to say online dating is not too or not at all safe. A majority of people support requiring background checks as a prerequisite for making a profile on a dating app or site.
• More than half of women (56%) under age 50 have had an unwanted sexually explicit message or image sent to them on a platform. Four in ten have had someone persist in harassment after being turned down and 37% report having been called an offensive name. One in ten report having received threats of physical harm.

Here’s what Julia Bennett, senior director of digital education & learning strategy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, had to say:

“The latest Pew Research data regarding online dating affirms two truths: online dating can be a positive experience for some, but there are also gender and sexual orientation inequities. With so many people exploring dating sites or apps, it is important for people to be respectful of others when engaging on these platforms... Respecting others’ boundaries is critical for healthy relationships but it’s clear from the data that a significant portion of people who date online, disproportionately women, experience violations of their boundaries.” 

Read more about the key findings at Pew.

STATE FIGHTS ROUND UP: This week we saw the introduction of the country’s first abortion-related travel ban. 

• This week, the Idaho legislature introduced HB 98, the country’s first abortion-related travel ban this session. The proposed bill would make it illegal to help a minor access abortion care in Idaho without the permission of their parent or legal guardian, and suggests some lawmakers want to take action against those who help young people get care in access states. Abortion is already almost completely banned in Idaho.
• On Wednesday, West Virginia lawmakers introduced SB 584, a bill to repeal the already prohibitively narrow exceptions for some survivors of rape and incest from the state’s near-total abortion ban that was enacted last year. This cruel bill already has 14 sponsors. 
• Yesterday, the South Carolina Senate passed S.474, a bill that would ban abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy — before many people even know they’re pregnant. The bill, which is nearly identical to the unconstitutional six-week ban that the South Carolina Supreme Court permanently struck down last month, now moves to the South Carolina House, where a near-total ban is also under consideration.
• Iowa politicians introduced a ban on medication abortion and announced their plans to introduce a total abortion ban in the state. The proposed ban on medication abortion, which accounts for 79% of abortions in Iowa, would make it a felony to manufacture, distribute, prescribe, dispense, sell, or transfer medication abortion pills in the state with penalties of up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $13,660.
• Anti-trans legislation continues to advance across the country:
  • Yesterday, the South Dakota Senate both passed a gender-affirming care ban that now heads to the governor for signature or veto. 
  • On Wednesday, the Oklahoma Senate Rules committee passed two bills limiting access to gender-affirming care. 
  • A ban on gender-affirming care was introduced in Arkansas and one continues to advance in Mississippi. 
  • This week, the Indiana House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code held a hearing on a ban on gender-affirming care for incarcerated people.
  • Today, Kentucky senators are holding a hearing on an anti-trans education bill. 
• In Missouri this week, the Senate Education and Workforce Development committee held a hearing on a “Don't Say Gay” bill that would ban school personnel from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity and expression with students unless they are a licensed mental health provider and have prior parental permission.