The South Carolina House has passed a bill banning almost all abortions in the stateCOLUMBIA, S.C. -- The South Carolina House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill banning nearly all abortions, following the lead of other states with similar measures that would go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade. The “South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act" requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for a heartbeat in the fetus. Supporters of the ban stood outside the House chambers applauding and hugging the lawmakers that pushed the hardest for the measure. But Republicans gained three seats in the 2020 elections and the newly energized 30-16 Republican majority made the proposal Senate Bill No. Republicans have urged people who want to see even more restrictions put on abortion to avoid changing the bill to make sure it passes.

Source: ABC News February 17, 2021 06:00 UTC