South Carolina Senate rejects near-total abortion ban

The South Carolina Senate didn’t move a ban on abortions sooner than six weeks into being pregnant on Thursday.

The controversial invoice was altered over two days of debate on the ground, shifting it nearer to the present South Carolina abortion ban that’s tied up in court docket.

“This isn’t the place I needed to be. I hoped we’d be extra aggressive, however it’s clear to me the votes aren’t there within the Senate for an abortion ban earlier than six weeks,” mentioned Republican Senate Majority Chief Shane Massey in response to the 2 days of debate over the preliminary proposal.

The altered legislation, handed by a 27-16 vote, joins the state’s present abortion legislation in banning abortion after six weeks, at which level fetal cardiac exercise will be detected by ultrasound.

The “fetal heartbeat” legislation was handed final 12 months however solely took impact after the Supreme Courtroom’s Dobbs v. Jackson Girls’s Well being Group determination overturned Roe v. Wade.

The legislation was suspended by the South Carolina Supreme Courtroom this summer season for doubtlessly violating the state structure.

The brand new legislation differs from the outdated heartbeat legislation in limiting exceptions, permitting victims of rape and incest three months to acquire abortions reasonably than the initially determined 5 months.

The legislation would require docs to gather DNA samples from aborted fetuses to assist legislation enforcement in prosecuting rapists.

The legislation additionally requires two docs to substantiate a prognosis {that a} fetus shall be unable to outlive exterior of the womb, which means that it may be aborted based mostly on the legislation’s exceptions.

Sen. Sandy Senn, considered one of two Republicans who opposed the ultimate measure, criticized the brand new invoice for its lack of progress regardless of the minor modifications between the outdated and new abortion bans.

“We’ve been right here for 2 days and two nights, and we’re again mainly to the identical invoice we handed a 12 months in the past and the Supreme Courtroom has taken off the desk at the least briefly,” she mentioned.