SC Gov. orders extra legislative session to tackle abortion, bond reform

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The General Assembly in South Carolina isn’t done yet.

Gov. Henry McMaster on Friday issued an executive order to call legislators back for an extra session beginning on Tuesday.

According to McMaster’s office, the purpose of the extra session is specifically to tackle proposed laws on “illegal gun possession, bond reform, the General Appropriations Act, the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act, and other matters of public importance.”

The legislature had been debating changes to the state’s abortion laws, including restricting abortions after six weeks, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade last year. But as of Thursday, SB474 hadn’t passed both chambers of the state General Assembly, and the proposed restrictions had changed.

McMaster credited the General Assembly for passing Republican Party agenda items and economic developments, but he said he wanted the state’s legislators to tie up a few loose ends.

“The General Assembly has made progress on a few items this year, such as expanding school choice, repealing certificate of need, restructuring of the Department of Health and Environmental Control, passing a shield law, and approving a large incentive package for Scout Motors bringing jobs and prosperity to the state, but they have not finished their business,” McMaster said in a statement. “The General Assembly did not close the revolving door for criminals. It remains wide open. They have not passed bond reform, and they have not enhanced the criminal penalties for illegal-gun possession. In addition, the General Assembly must complete the state budget, and they must pass legislation that stops our state from becoming a destination for abortions. Therefore, I am directing the General Assembly to return for a special session to complete the important business at hand.”

According to McMaster’s office, this is the first time that South Carolina has had an extended legislative session since Gov. Jim Hodges was in office, which was 20 years ago.

The Associated Press reported that House Speaker Murrell Smith said he doesn’t expect the special session to go past May, unless there’s a major emergency.

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