Thu May 25, 2023 – 5:44 pm EDT
(LifeSiteNews) – South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law Thursday a ban on aborting babies with detectable heartbeats, declaring that it “will begin saving the lives of unborn children immediately.”
The Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, generally at the first six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks, and exceptions for medical emergencies or fatal fetal abnormalities. It does not extend to babies younger than six weeks.
“This is a great day for life in South Carolina, but the fight is not over,” McMaster declared, WIS TV reported. “We stand ready to defend this legislation against any challenges and are confident we will succeed. The right to life must be preserved, and we will do everything we can to protect it.”
Planned Parenthood has already said it will file a lawsuit against the new law. It remains to be seen how the case will fare in court, given the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down a previous heartbeat law in January.
Enactment of the heartbeat law follows the
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