S.C. Senate Majority Leader says Fetal Heartbeat Bill doesn’t have enough votes to pass
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The future of a South Carolina bill that would ban almost all abortions around six weeks of pregnancy could be in jeopardy.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, told reporters during a Legislative Workshop meeting at the State House on Thursday that he believes there are not enough votes to pass the Fetal Heartbeat Bill in the Senate.
The bill passed the House in April of last year. It would ban women from getting an abortion after a heartbeat is detected, or around six weeks into a pregnancy -- with exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother.
When the bill was sent to a panel of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee, they voted to remove the exceptions for rape and incest.
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The exceptions were later added back into the bill by the full committee. However, they were only added back along with a requirement for a woman who was pregnant as a result of rape or incest to file a police report before seeking an abortion.
Senators on the committee voted along party lines to send the legislation to the Senate floor, where it is expected to be debated once session starts.
The House and Senate will both convene on Tuesday, Jan. 14 for the start of the second year of a two-year session.
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