The South Carolina state Senate voted on Thursday to ban most abortions in the state, passing a bill that restricts abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
The “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Abortion Protection Act” passed the state Senate by 30 to 13 votes, according to The Associated Press.
The bill requires doctors to try to find the heartbeat using an ultrasound if they believe the woman is at least eight weeks pregnant. An abortion cannot be performed if a heartbeat is found, unless the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if it puts the mother’s life at risk.
Legislation previously passed by the state chamber and Governor Henry McMaster (R) said it would sign the bill. The AP noted that Republicans who won three new seats in the state Senate in the last elections helped state legislators to overcome a fundamental procedural barrier to advance legislation.
Similar bills have been passed in several other states, but have been entangled in courts with legal challenges.
“If this is confirmed by the courts, we will have saved thousands of lives in South Carolina every year. It is a tremendous victory,” said Senate majority leader Shane Massey (R), according to the AP.
Abortion rights advocates are reportedly waiting to see if the Supreme Court will speak on the matter, as the court now has a conservative majority of six judges with confirmation from the courts. Amy Coney Barrett
Amy Coney BarrettBiden starts staff committee to study Supreme Court reform: report In Biden, the media finally has a religious president to celebrate Rubio reintroduces amendment to block court packaging MORE last year.
The project will now go to the state chamber, where it may face challenges if any other restrictions are added. As the AP notes, two Republican lawmakers in the state Senate said they cannot support the bill if the exceptions for rape and incest are removed.
“Enjoy this power and control while you have it, comrades,” State Senator Mia McLeod told her Republican colleagues. “This is only political for you, but it is personal for millions of us.”