February 23, 2021

South Carolina Heartbeat Law Blocked by Federal Judge

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson
A South Carolina law that banned the abortion of unborn children whose heartbeats are detectable was blocked by a federal judge last Friday.

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the state after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed it into law last Thursday. Then, on Friday, Judge Mary Geiger Lewis placed a 14-day restraining order against the law's enforcement until a hearing on March 9. The restraining order is renewable.

In the papers they filed against the state to ask for a restraining order, Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights wrote that over 75 women were scheduled to have abortions over the next three days.

"Heartbeat" abortion bans have been passed in several other states, but none have succeeded after they were challenged in court. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says this time could be different since former President Donald Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court during his administration. This would potentially allow the court to overturn Roe v. Wade and other pro-abortion precedents.

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