Abortion rights advocates had swiftly expressed opposition to the new law, which the South Carolina General Assembly passed on Wednesday and finalized on Thursday. Lawyers for the groups asked a federal judge to block the law on behalf of abortion providers Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Greenville Women's Clinic, which operate the only three abortion clinics in South Carolina, according to court documents. As of Friday morning, at least 75 patients had abortion appointments scheduled at Planned Parenthood and Greenville Women's Clinic, according to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic spokesperson Molly Rivera told CNN that they had stopped providing abortions as soon as the governor signed the bill. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who was named in the lawsuit, called the block "only a first step, but the legal fight has just begun.

Source: The Nation February 19, 2021 22:09 UTC