S.C. lawmakers set to consider heartbeat abortion ban

COLUMBIA (AP) - South Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation that would ban almost all abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected which is typically around the sixth week of pregnancy.

A House constitutional laws subcommittee met Tuesday and heard over an hour of testimony from both supporters and detractors of the proposed legislation before voting 3-2 in favor of the proposal. An additional room was opened to accommodate the large crowd.

The proposal would require medical professionals to test for a detectable heartbeat before any abortion is performed. Author of the bill, Republican Rep. John McCravy, said if a heartbeat is detected, the bill would require the medical professional to let the mother hear the heartbeat and advise the woman on the chances of her successfully carrying the pregnancy to full term. The legislation would provide exceptions if a woman's life is at risk or if there is a risk of irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.

McCravy said he thinks House lawmakers will have the votes to pass the legislation. There are currently more than 50 co-sponsors on the Greenwood Republican's bill.

"We're very encouraged by this vote. We feel like we will have the votes in full committee, and we look forward to that this afternoon," McCravy said.

Republican-led legislatures in several other states have considered similar bills to ban or restrict abortions in hopes of getting a case before the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, the landmark decision legalizing abortion nationwide. Mississippi and Kentucky have passed similar proposals, and Georgia's governor is considering a similar ban.

Opponents of the bill say it would face an immediate legal challenge and say such proposals are another example of how women's rights are stepped on by the government.

"The women of our state have the intellectual and moral capabilities to make the right decisions about pregnancy and parenting according to their circumstances and their values," said Ann Warner, CEO of the Women's Rights and Empowerment Network.

Opponents of the legislation also said it is not worth the financial implications of South Carolina entering a legal battle over legislation that has already been decided by the courts.

"Here's the problem, this bill is unconstitutional," Vicki Ringer, director of Public Affairs Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. "You believe that (Justice Neil) Gorsuch and (Justice Brett) Kavanaugh will save you on the Supreme Court. That court has already blocked an abortion bill."

But supporters of the bill said it is about doing what is right.

"Because that heart is beating, those babies deserve protection under the law because our constitution says that we are guaranteed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," said Alexia Newman, executive director of the Carolina Pregnancy Center.

South Carolina has been in the forefront of more restrictive abortion laws over the past 35 years.