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South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signs 6-week abortion ban

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, speaks before former President Donald J. Trump at the Boeing South Carolina faculty in North Charleston, South Carolina, on February 17, 2017. He signed a six-week abortion plan in the state on Thursday. File Photo by Stephen Morton/EPA
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, speaks before former President Donald J. Trump at the Boeing South Carolina faculty in North Charleston, South Carolina, on February 17, 2017. He signed a six-week abortion plan in the state on Thursday. File Photo by Stephen Morton/EPA

May 25 (UPI) -- South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a new abortion ban law on Thursday, criminalizing abortions after an ultrasound can detect any cardiac activity, which is typically six weeks into a pregnancy.

The new law drastically changed the 22-week period women could seek an abortion after pregnancy. Many abortion supporters have argued in the past women don't even know they are pregnant at the six-week stage.

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The law provides for exceptions due to rape or incest, during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, medical emergencies, or fatal fetal anomalies.

"With my signature, the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act is now law and will begin saving the lives of unborn children immediately," McMaster said in a statement. "This is a great day for life in South Carolina, but the fight is not over. We stand ready to defend this legislation against any challenges and are confident we will succeed."

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the Greenville Women's Clinic and two physician-plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in state court shortly after the signing. The plaintiffs said the state's Supreme Court recently blocked a similar measure that put the abortion ban at four weeks.

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"State lawmakers have once again trampled on our right to make private health care decisions, ignoring warnings from health care providers and precedent set by the state's highest court just a few months ago," Planned Parenthood South Atlantic President and CEO Jenny Black said in a statement.

"The decision of if, when, and how to have a child is deeply personal, and politicians making that decision for anyone else is government overreach of the highest order. We will always fight for our patients' ability to make their own decisions about their bodies and access the health care they need. We urge the court to take swift action to block this dangerous ban on abortion," she continued.

South Carolina is just another in numerous states around the country led by Republican legislatures that have toughened their restrictions on abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade nearly a year ago.

Later on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the ban, calling it "extreme and dangerous."

"With the passage of abortion bans in states like Florida and North Carolina earlier this year, Republican officials are dismantling women's rights across the South, putting their health and lives in jeopardy," Jean-Pierre said. "South Carolina's ban will cut off access to abortion for women in the state and those across the entire region for whom South Carolina is their closest option for care."

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She said President Joe Biden continues to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe in federal law.

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