COLUMBIA - South Carolina would cease state health insurance payments for abortions for victims of rape or incest under a measure approved Monday by a House budget panel.
State Rep. Rex Rice, an Easley Republican, said his proposal was more about philosophy than saving the state money in a tough budget year.
"This is basically saying that we cannot afford to fund any abortions in the state health plan," Rice said as he introduced the measure.
He was pressed to say how much that would save.
"I don't have any idea," Rice said. But "I don't think we ought to be funding any abortions."
State law now provides exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the health of a mother. But that would end, at least for a year, if Rice's measure became part of the state's budget law.
It left Democrats on the panel stunned.
House Minority Leader Harry Ott said if his wife's doctor told her she'd have to have an abortion or die, "you would not want my health insurance to do what my doctor said was needed in order to save my wife's life?"
"I don't believe we ought to be funding abortions with the state health plan," Rice responded.
The amendment was adopted with a voice vote, but its fate is far from certain in the weeks ahead that will shape the budget in the House and Senate.
"That's going to start a fight," state Rep. Joe Neal of Hopkins said after the meeting.
Neal noted Rice's bid for a U.S. House seat.
"This is more about politics than what's best for the people," Neal said. "You're saying a woman must die if she can't afford to pay for it. ... I just think that's too extreme."
Budget writers are dealing with other extremes, too, including plans to furlough public school educators and state workers.
They approved a plan that lets school districts furlough teachers for up to five days now used for training.
Principals and other staff members would have up to 10 days of unpaid leave. The combination could save districts up to $100 million.
The panel approved dropping a popular program that provides teachers up to $7,500 in yearly bonuses for earning national certifications.
The budget committee agreed to end that program for people who haven't applied by July 1.
People who already have qualified will continue to get the yearly bonus many districts match.
The panel also gave school districts permission to drop drivers education programs for a year.
State Rep. Mike Pitts, R-Laurens, won approval for a proposal that would require five furlough days for all state workers.
Unlike teachers, state workers would take their unpaid time off during state holidays. Pitts said his proposal would save at least $4.6 million a day.
Pitts said state workers asked for the furloughs as a way of sparing them from layoffs.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Cooper, R-Piedmont, said he'll tell budget writers to come up with $200 million in savings when they resume work on the spending plan today.
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