Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The latest anti-abortion bill, S.323, had a nearly 10-hour long hearing in front of the Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee on October 1st, 2025. Pro-abortion groups held a very large protest outside of the Gressette Building, where the subcommittee was holding its hearing.

One elderly women in the overflow rooms was frustrated of the feed cutting in and out of the livestream, saying she had driven “hundreds and hundreds” of miles to be there. This raised the eyebrows of myself and other onlookers as it would not take anyone in the state of South Carolina “hundreds and hundreds” of miles to drive to Columbia.

Overflow Rooms for S.323. Those who wanted to observe or speak in front of the committee filled at least three different overflow rooms. Participants in the largest room (located in the Blatt Building) who were against the bill, snapped when in agreement (see last two photos.)

Pastor Mark Corral, the President of Equal Protection South Carolina spoke in favor of the bill but said it must be strengthened for the organization to fully support the bill. “First, the bill should be amended to protect all children beginning at fertilization not at moment of clinically diagnosable pregnancy. Second, this bill should be amended to provide pre-born babies the absolute equal protection of South Carolina laws. Now, even though if this bill is enacted would become America’s strongest anti-abortion law, it will not establish the equal legal protection for all pre-born babies.”

John Rice Cameron, the legislative liaison for the Foundation to Abolish Abortion echoed the call for amendments by Mark Corral. “The strongest aspect of this bill is the imposition of criminal penalties on all perpetrators of abortion. Following the Dobbs decision, in states regulating abortion at six weeks or prior in 2019 to 2024, the number of abortion procured by state residents rose by 35%. The data is undeniable. Pro-life laws currently on the books have failed to reduce abortions. These laws have failed to save lives because they provide total legal immunity to mothers who perpetrate abortions allowing them to use abortion pills by exploiting these massive loophole. This bill would take the vital step forward by criminalizing abortion for everyone involved, making it the first anti-abortion law to actually ban abortion.”

Several individuals shared either their opposition or favor of the passage of S.323. One individual named Danny, spoke of their “mortal opposition” to the bill, “While I am not a woman, I was once capable of pregnancy” (around minute 57 of the livestream.) Other women shared their concerns of “women dying” because of “the men” supporting S.323.

A Moment of Hope Shares Sidewalk Counseling Experience

Mark Baumgartner, the Founder and Executive Director of A Moment of Hope, an outreach to the abortion clinics in Columbia, South Carolina.

“Over the past thirteen years, A Moment of Hope has witnessed roughly 20,000 mothers arrive for abortion appointments. We keep meticulous records,” Baumgartner explains, “We have seen and heard a lot. We have seen the crying, the vomiting, the ambulances, the women leaving in wheelchairs. We have learned that the vast majority of women are not forced. We have learned that the women who choose life, do not regret it. And they choose life the next time also.”

“We have seen sad things, like boyfriends crying in the parking lot, grieved that they have no say in the decision. Or the horrific things, like the time I witnessed a mom drag her daughter, maybe twelve years old, inside on an abortion day. The girl ran outside, only to be dragged back in again, twice…Another time, a tenant above the abortion suite came out and said he was hearing screams of anguish coming from below. We wondered, should we call the police?”

Mark’s testimony addressed that abortion in South Carolina haven’t decreased at all. “In reality, Planned Parenthood is virtually as busy now as they were before the Dobbs decision and the overturning of Roe, even since the passage of the heartbeat law. By our own count, we are seeing nearly as many women show up on abortion days.”

As Mark was describing the many of examples his staff has encountered with women who had an abortion, including one driving by that yelled “We already killed it! Yay!” and another telling his staff to “go f*** yourself” and that she was glad she killed her baby, two women in the hearing started screaming similar profanities at Mark and the subcommittee and were eventually escorted out of the room.

Mark told more stories of women swerving their cars towards his staff, telling Mark in front of their other young children that they will be getting an abortion as “I don’t need another one” and others admitting it wasn’t their first abortion and that they would do it again. “Do these women sound like victims? No, they knew exactly what they were doing. Killing an innocent unborn child.” You can watch Baumgartner’s powerful testimony here:

Personhood SC Explains the Importance of S.323

Dr. Matt Clark, Executive Director of Personhood South Carolina, used the last 15 minutes of testimony to explain his position on the bill while adding context to testimony that had been given throughout the day. “The Department of Public Health…gives us numbers from 2024 [that] 3,025 of our innocent and defenseless neighbors were murdered inside the womb…I only wish there was so much concern here today expressed about that as all the other reasonable concerns that were brought up.” He lamented, “If we understood these children to be human beings, we would all admit that we have a public emergency on our hands.”

Dr. Clark explained that these numbers from the South Carolina Department of Public Health do not consider the children who are murdered at home with the abortion bill. “These numbers don’t include what comes from an organization called We Count, that tells us there were 3,890 approximately by mail babies poisoned at home by their mothers…As we heard earlier, this is where women are killing their children themselves at home. And they know what you are doing, the testimony I submitted has all the evidence that these women know what they are doing, you’ve heard the evidence already. These are uncoerced, they’re willingly killing their own children. They know what they are doing.”

What does the current law look like for mothers who have abortions after the six week ban? Well, under the current law, Dr. Clark explained that “…the moms that do this have specific, complete, unconditional immunity in the heartbeat law right now.”

SC Citizens For Life Opposes S.323, Peddles Leftist Arguments

On August 12, 2025, SC Citizens for Life (SCCL) sent a press release to their email subscribers (instead of posting it online) that stated that SC Citizens for Life would oppose S.323 due to subjecting “post-aborted women to the death penalty.” SC Citizens for Life continues to state that it opposes “all legislation that criminalizes women.” The press release was sent out 2 1/2 hours before the hearing began as well:

SC Citizens for Life was founded in 1988 and is sponsored by groups like the South Carolina Republican Party, Palmetto Family, Knight of Columbus SC as well as politicians like Attorney General Alan Wilson and his father, US Congressman Joe Wilson. Several churches sponsor SC Citizens for Life, like the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, the South Carolina Baptist Convention, the Southern Methodist Church, Ocean Drive Presbyterian, among many others.

Personhood SC responded to this press release on September 29, 2025, explaining the “grave error” and “profound inaccuracy” by SCCL, while emphasizing the importance of criminalization, as S.323 only allows for a penalty up to 30 years in prison, and expressly states that the death penalty is not included in the bill. Personhood SC lamented SCCL’s position, stating, “No amount of longevity, wealth, influence, position papers, signatures, political pressure, or back-room political maneuverings can ever magically transform SCCL’s misguided view on equal protection into wisdom, truth or justice.”

Pro-Abortion Protest At The Capital

Outside at the protest, several Democrat legislators, organization heads, and the former “Sister Senators” took to the mic on the back steps of the capital to share their support of abortion rights in South Carolina.

Former Republican Senator Katrina Shealy, who lost her reelection in 2024 due to her vote against anti-abortion legislation, along with former Republican “sister senators” Penry Gustafson and Sandy Senn, spoke in front of the subcommittee in opposition to S.323. “This bill’s provisions threatens to criminalize healthcare itself, by defining terms and removing protections. It puts doctors in an impossible position, forcing them to choose between their medical oath and their new criminal penalties.”

When Shealy’s time was close to expiring, she said, “..Imma take my senatorial privilege here” as Shealy continued reading her notes. Moments later, Chairman Cash told Shealy that her time was up. Shealy responded that she was “gonna say something because my name was invoked earlier and I’m gonna go over here and remind each of you that y’all were elected to do what was right not what will get you re-elected and since these gentlemen reminded me that I was not re-elected, I want to remind y’all that I did the right thing on legislation just like this and I see security coming to get me but I’m going to sit down.”

Pastor Mark Corral was one of those gentlemen that former Senator Katrina Shealy referenced, who mentions “…two Republicans who are sitting here today who were on the wrong side of the issue and they lost their seat.” Shealy, who was sitting right behind Corral, dropped her notes. Watch the ten second clip here:

Lynn Teague, the Vice President of Issues & Actions of the League of Women Voters of South Carolina, who is often seen rubbing shoulder with the executive staff of the South Carolina State Election Commission, was slated to speak at the protest. Teague stated that S.323 was “about control.” Teague emphasized, “I didn’t expect myself to be fighting this battle again…we have to be working for full rights for everyone in this country.”

State Democrat Representative Justin Bamberg spoke at the protest as well, bringing up former State Representative RJ May who pled guilty to five counts of distributing child pornography on September 26, 2025.

“I have spent a third of my life fighting against legislation like this and it’s getting worse and worse and worse.” Bamberg emphasized that S.323 is “a bill that gives child predators the ultimate trophy.” “…a former member of this body admitted that he was sending videos of children being sexually assaulted to people across the world.” Bamberg spoke of his disgust of May, stating that S.323 “gives people like RJ May the celebratory trophy.”

While State Democrat Representative Beth Bernstein was speaking (in white romper and hot pink high heels) several pro-abortion protesters moved to surround and sing “land of the free” to the group of anti-abortion protesters, the latter finding the action quite amusing and began singing with them. Eventually, many of the pro-abortioners became angered and returned back to listening to their next speaker.

The Fight For Human Life

After listening to the testimony given on October 1st, it is clear that the difference between the two sides on this issue is whether or not you consider an unborn child worthy of life outside of the womb. There’s facts, reasons, and technicalities for either side, but at the end of the day that is the question that determines the solution.

The demographics of the two sides were striking. On the pro-life side, I would roughly estimate there were 50% men and 50% women in favor of S.323. On the pro-abortion side, I would generously estimate it was 85% women and 15% men (or who at least identified as male.)

While many pro-abortionists demanded that men do not have a say in the matter, I would strongly disagree. It takes both a man and a woman to make a baby, so why aren’t more men actively advocating for abortion?

Men who father a child are legally obligated by the court system to pay child support, whether or not they wanted that child. So why is it any different in the case of abortion?

While the pro-abortion movement has done a phenomenal job of blurring the lines of life and liberty for women, it made a grave mistake of cutting the father out of the picture. The men of South Carolina need to continue getting involved, because it equally impacts their life as well. These are our children to protect and our men must act as moral leaders in every aspect, including abortion.

At the end of the day, a murder is a murder. If someone kills a pregnant woman (no matter what stage of pregnancy she was in) that person is charged with a double homicide. There is no argument or technicality that can negate that fact. Abortion is no different. There should be no “get out of jail” free card for any intentional murder.

The future of S.323 is still up in the air. The subcommittee voted to recede to the call of the chair in order to think on the testimony and evidence provided. This most likely means that the subcommittee will consider any amendments that may need to be offered and will reconvene upon the call of the chair. The abortion battle will continue in this state, but will the morally conscious men and women stand up for the defenseless? I truly hope so.

Candids Caught on Camera

The highlight of the protest was the amount of creative signs, ranging from t-shirts to cardboard cut outs. I hope you enjoy looking at these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Note: All photos were taken by Alaina Moore on Tuesday, October 1, 2025.