Abortion bans fail in South Carolina and Nebraska by just 1 vote


Two conservative states — South Carolina and Nebraska — failed to pass their respective abortion bans by a single vote on Thursday, reports The Associated Press. South Carolina had proposed a near-total abortion ban while Nebraska had proposed a six-week ban. Both votes failed and abortion remains legal up to 22 weeks in both states, per The Washington Post.
In both instances, certain Republican lawmakers were responsible for preventing passage. South Carolina state Sen. Sandy Senn (R) remarked that abortion laws "have always been, each and every one of them, about control — plain and simple. And in the Senate, the males have all the control." That said, while a near-total ban failed, a proposed six-week abortion ban has already passed the state Senate.
In Nebraska, the decision was swayed by the 80-year-old Merv Riepe, a long-time Republican state senator. Following the vote, Riepe told the Flatwater Free Press: "No group came to me, asking me to do this. This is of my own beliefs, my own commitments."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
All in all, the results are a victory for pro-choice advocates. "This really shows that even in red states winning is still possible," Ianthe Metzger of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund told the Post. "We do know that banning abortion is unpopular." Currently, there are 14 states with total abortion bans and 8 states whose bans were blocked by courts.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Book reviews: ‘Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America’ and ‘How to End a Story: Collected Diaries, 1978–1998’
Feature A political ‘witch hunt’ and Helen Garner’s journal entries
By The Week US Published
-
The backlash against ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli filter
The Explainer The studio's charming style has become part of a nebulous social media trend
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump allies urge White House to admit chat blunder
Speed Read Even pro-Trump figures are criticizing The White House's handling of the Signal scandal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge: Nazis treated better than Trump deportees
speed read U.S. District Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his order barring President Donald Trump from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published