SC incumbent says she wouldn’t punish abortions. A bill she supported allowed for death penalty

At the beginning of the 2023 session, a few lawmakers introduced a bill that would enable prosecutors to try women for capital punishment if they had an abortion. The bill, which barely made it out of beginning stages to become a law, was part of the six- week abortion ban conversation.

State Rep. April Cromer, R-Anderson, a Freedom Caucus member, didn’t write the legislation, but she was one of the co-sponsors on the bill. More than a year later, however, she posted a video Monday night saying she would “never” advocate for punishing women.

“Today, my opponent stooped so low as to say I want to punish and even kill women who have an abortion,” Cromer said in a video on social media platform X Monday evening. “It’s no secret that I’m proudly pro-life and have supported equal protections for the unborn. But I have never and would never advocate for punishing women. That’s not who we are as a community.”

She goes on to say she believes in “supporting and uplifting” those making these difficult decisions, not condemning them.

Cromer’s opponent in the SC House District 6 race, Kyle White, made a video about Cromer’s voting and record, including times he said she contradicted herself.

“You also mentioned that you voted to protect life, but what you neglected to mention was that you also supported women who have abortion being prosecuted for murder,” White said in a video posted on X May 4.

The bill, dubbed the “South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023” sparked outrage from both Democrats and Republicans. The bill defined an unborn child as a person at any stage of development. It said an “unborn child who is a victim of homicide” is afforded equal protection under the homicide laws of the state. The bill was read in the House on Jan. 10, 2023, then sent to Judiciary Committee, where it died. Cromer requested that her name be added as a sponsor to the bill on March 2, 2023, according to state house records.

A number of lawmakers who had originally added their name to the legislation ended up removing themselves, including state Reps. David Vaughan, R-Greenville, Fawn Pedalino, R-Clarendon, Brian Lawson, R-Cherokee, Randy Ligon, R-Chester and Patrick Haddon, R-Greenville, Kathy Landing, R-Charleston, Matt Leber, R-Charleston, Mark Willis, R-Greenville, Brandon Guffey, R-York, David O’Neal, R-York, Joe White, R-Newberry, and Roger Nutt, R-Spartanburg.

Rep. Rob Harris, R-Spartanburg, was the main sponsor of the bill, and pre-filed it Dec. 15, 2022.

Cromer’s post was quickly called out by House Republicans, who have a history of clashing with Freedom Caucus members.

“The clown show loves to give you boo-hoo tears ... but, in truth, April co-sponsored H. 3549, which could impose the death penalty on women who have abortions,” Rep. Micah Caskey, R-Lexington wrote over X in response to her video. “Was she lying when to you when she supported that or is she lying to you now?”