South Carolina Sees Major Wins for Pro Life Movement: Abortions down more than 40% since 2023; Supreme Court Rules in Favor of SC defunding Planned Parenthood

 

Written by Tony J. Spain, Palmetto Examiner
July 3, 2025

COLUMBIA, SC—(PE) The pro-life movement is stacking wins in the abortion fight in South Carolina as new data released Tuesday from the South Carolina Department of Health shows the number of South Carolinians getting abortions in the Palmetto State is in major decline since 2023, and the U.S. Supreme court ruled 6-3 in favor of South Carolina to defund Planned Parenthood last Thursday.

The data compiled by SCDHEC from August 2023 through all of 2024 shows the South Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Fetal Heartbeat Act, banning abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy, has led to the number of women getting abortions in the Palmetto State to drop by more than 40 percent.

Overall, there were 8,187 abortions in 2023 vs 3,025 in 2024 for a difference of more than 5,000 fewer abortions.

Of the total abortions carried out in South Carolina in 2024, 84% of them were medication induced (AKA Abortion Pill). Additionally, 27% of abortions were carried out for women between the ages of 20-24 in 2024.

South Carolina allowed abortions up to 20 weeks after pregnancy before the six week ban making it one of the least restrictive states and an abortion destination in the Southeast. After the ruling that was no longer the case.

Data released Tuesday from the Department of Public Health shows a 92% drop in out-of-state residents getting abortions in South Carolina from 2023-2024.

The conservative Christian family advocacy group Palmetto Family Council praised the numbers saying it showed the great effectiveness of the state’s Fetal Heartbeat Law”

“There’s no point in traveling to South Carolina [for an abortion] now  and that’s a positive,” Justin Hall, Palmetto Family Council Communications Director said. “We don’t want to be viewed as a state where I can go and end life of another human legally. We wanted to stop that. We would like to see other states follow that mode, but certainly we’ve cut down on that destination vacation spot.”


Planned Parenthood—among the groups that criticized the ban as prohibiting abortions before the time many women know they are pregnant—said they have had to turn people away and those people are going to North Carolina…

“75% of the people who come to see us have had to be turned away. They want an abortion, they’ve already decided they want an abortion, but we are not able to help them provide the care that we are able to provide because they are too far along,” Vicki Ringer with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic said.

The organization said these restrictions have not ended abortions, just moved them to other states.

“Half of all out-of-state abortions in North Carolina are from South Carolina. So while the abortion ban in South Carolina has been very effective at shutting down care for people here, as we have always said, people will find a way,” Ringer said.

Data from the new DPH report runs through December 2024, with figures from 2025 to be released next summer.

You can view the full 2024 report here.

In another big win for the pro-life movement, last Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of South Carolina’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding.

The ruling supports the state’s move to prevent taxpayer dollars from being allocated to the organization.

You can read the ruling here.

“Seven years ago, we took a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina’s authority and values—and today, we are finally victorious,” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster wrote on social media. “The legality of my executive order prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood has been affirmed by the highest court in the land.”

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About the Author: 

Tony Spain is a former candidate for Richland County Council 2020 and an award winning former military photographer and journalist while in the Public Affairs Office for the U.S. Army. His photos and writing have been published in numerous publications such as The Commercial News, Danville, Ill.; The Paraglide, Fort Bragg, N.C.; Soldier of Fortune Magazine; The State Newspaper, Columbia, S.C., and more.

He lives in Columbia, S.C.

 

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com

Op Ed Guest Columnist: Leaders in Columbia Shouldn’t Let Bad Actors Pass the Buck to Others; Protect Our Children from Inappropriate Online Content

Written by: Tracy Robins, Richland County
April 1, 2025

Throughout 2024, numerous reports exposed the secretive tactics used by social media giants like Facebook and TikTok to profit from children. This includes shady data collection practices, targeted advertising to minors, and algorithms designed to serve dangerous and addictive content to children. These reports have sparked an outcry among parents, including families here in South Carolina, for our elected officials to do something to stop bad actors from exploiting children and teenagers online.

In response to these growing concerns, lawmakers around the country have fought to rein in dangerous social media companies. This includes Governor McMaster’s decision to ban TikTok on state government devices. Additionally, Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined dozens of state attorneys general to sue Facebook for intentionally harming its young users. In the past, TikTok and Facebook have fought fiercely against regulations and lawsuits like these. However, it’s become impossible for social media companies to deny the harmful effects of their platforms.

Now, in the face of mounting pressure, Facebook has changed its tune, and the company claims it wants elected officials to pass social media regulations, but as always, the devil is in the details.

Facebook’s plan is to get lawmakers to regulate other companies so that social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook aren’t held responsible for intentionally designing addictive and harmful apps. Of course, there are some serious issues with Facebook’s plans. The Supreme Court has already overturned similar proposals, meaning taxpayer dollars will be spent defending Facebook-backed legislation instead of protecting our children. What’s worse is that the regulations Facebook supports wouldn’t even work. They include loopholes that would allow children to continue to access their platforms and would even force other businesses to hand private data over to social media companies, making it easier for bad actors like Facebook and TikTok to profit off their users’ sensitive information.

Facebook’s proposal has earned the support of other companies with a track record of unsavory business practices who have realized they could benefit by passing off the responsibility for their own problems. Match Group, for example, which owns many of the largest data apps on the market like Hinge and Tinder, has thrown its support behind the measure. Match, of course, sees the bill as a ticket to make someone else accountable for keeping underage users off of its apps, an issue the company has failed to address for years.

Pornography websites have even realized that these kinds of bills could benefit them. Companies that produce and promote explicit content have indicated their support for similar so-called “device filter” legislation that includes loopholes that would allow them to show inappropriate content to underage children and teens on their laptops, desktops, and some other devices without facing any accountability. 

However, lawmakers should not listen to social media giants, dating apps, or pornography companies about which online regulations will best protect young South Carolinians. Instead, they should listen to the parents of children who are affected by dangerous content online. New polling shows that 87% of parents support regulations to safeguard children’s mental health and shield them from inappropriate content online. The same study found that 93% of parents want content providers, including social media companies, video game makers, and pornography websites, to play a role in protecting kids from dangerous content on the internet.

In other words, parents know that the best way to keep children safe online is to hold actors accountable, and they’re right. Companies like Facebook have responded to recent pressure from lawmakers to make the apps they own safer. In fact, the company recently adopted technology to verify users’ ages and keep children away from Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. In Columbia, state legislators should do the same and put pressure on Facebook and other bad actors to take similar actions that would keep young users off of their dangerous apps.

The fact is that dangerous apps are harmful to our children, and for far too long, these bad actors have avoided accountability for their actions. Lawmakers shouldn’t let them avoid responsibility again by falling for a transparent effort to put the onus on others.

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About the Author:

Tracy Robins lives in Columbia and is a retired public-school teacher. She currently serves as the Richland County Republican Party’s Election Committee Chairwoman.

What Say You? Got something you'd like to say? Letter to the Editor (Guest Column), praises, criticism, hate mail, news story tip or just want to say, howdy. Send them to Tony@palmettoexaminer.com