It sounds like it could be the name of a Bruce Willis action movie. But sine die is simply Latin for “without date.” The South Carolina Legislature ended its 2022 session on May 12 at 5 p.m. The day before adjournment, the House adopted the Senate sine die resolution, which set the parameters for both chambers when they reconvene in July. During that session, they will finish their work on the budget, and, depending on the outcome of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, they will debate whether or not to end abortion in South Carolina.

If the leaked 5-to-4 opinion written by Justice Alito becomes official, the question of abortion will revert back to the states. In South Carolina, that means the 2021 Heartbeat Bill will go into effect, outlawing abortions when a heartbeat is detected. However, there is considerable momentum among South Carolina lawmakers to outlaw abortion entirely, beginning at the moment of conception. What that legislation will look like and just how restrictive it will be (and what exceptions it may or may not include) will be decided in what will likely be a protracted and heated debate in both chambers.