This past week, the House was not in session even though we still have several critical matters to complete before we adjourn for the year. We are being told there is an impasse on the budget that must be resolved before we can resume debate and vote. Meanwhile, the Senate was in session and passed several major bills. Finally, Governor McMaster signed the Fetal Heartbeat Act into law, and the expected legal challenge has already begun.

On Tuesday, the Senate finally passed H.3503, the Trafficking in Fentanyl Act. This will come back to the House with amendments, and I will be pushing for us to get this passed before we recess. I am disappointed that we did not take up H.3476, the Fentanyl-Induced Homicide bill, which had strong co-sponsors but still was not heard in the Judiciary Committee. I will do my best to get this introduced in committee next year. This powerful and deadly drug is one of the worst scourges on families in our country today, and we need to be as proactive as possible in preventing its distribution.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate debated S.474, the Fetal Heartbeat Act and concurred with the House Judiciary Committee's amendment. Around 6:30PM, they passed the bill, and on Wednesday morning, Governor McMaster signed it into law. As expected, an abortion provider has already challenged the law in court, and a judge has sustained this challenge to allow abortions to continue until the SC Supreme Court rules on the new law. South Carolina has been one of the most lenient states in the southeast on abortions. As such, the number of abortions performed in the last several months has more than doubled compared to before new laws were enacted in other states. Currently, the following states in the Southeast have a total ban with few exceptions on abortions: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. Florida and Georgia passed a 6-week ban, which is similar to the Fetal Heartbeat Law. Those are also being challenged in court. North Carolina just passed a ban at 12 weeks, which takes effect July 1st. Due to changes in the verbiage of the bill as well as a new Supreme Court justice who appears to uphold the Constitution and not legislate from the bench, we expect this new law can be upheld this time. The Constitution does not guarantee the right to kill an unborn child, and the right to life is the most basic of all inalienable rights. The new law does have provisions for extreme circumstances such as sexual assault, fatal fetal anomalies, and the life of the mother being at risk.