The South Carolina state House of Representatives voted Wednesday to pass a bill banning almost all abortions, The Associated Press reported.
A final procedural vote is set to occur Thursday. The House voted 79-35 in favor of the “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act,” which will soon be sent to Republican Gov. Henry McMaster for signature, according to the report.
The “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act” requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for a heartbeat in the fetus. If one is detected, the abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or the mother’s life is in danger.
About a dozen other states have passed similar or more restrictive abortion bans, which could take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court — with three justices appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump — were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court decision supporting abortion rights.
At one point during the proceedings, the Democratic caucus walked out in protest, Fox5 reported.
“Today is a sad day. It’s a very sad day, and all I can do is continue to pray for the state of South Carolina, pray for our women and pray for our families,” Democrat State Rep. Justin Bamberg said in a news conference.
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