Idaho, South Carolina supreme courts issue divergent rulings on abortion bans
January 8, 2023 | Idaho, South Carolina
Supreme courts in two states issued divergent rulings on state laws restricting abortion this week as several states have enacted measures in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade last June.
The Idaho Supreme Court upheld pro-life laws in the Gem State Thursday, including Senate Bill 1385 and Senate Bill 1309, by a 3-2 margin. Meanwhile, the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down the state’s six-week abortion ban Thursday.
Idaho’s Republican Gov. Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1385 into law in 2020, which was designed to ban abortions in the state if the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide was overturned. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health ruling last year, enabling Senate Bill 1385 to go into effect. Senate Bill 1309, signed into law by Little last year, bans abortions after six weeks gestation and imposes penalties for medical professionals who perform the procedure.
In the majority opinion, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that the state has a “legitimate interest in protecting prenatal fetal life in all stages of development, and in protecting the health and safety of the mother.”… (Excerpt from The Christian Post)
