South Carolina Supreme Court decides heartbeat definition allows six-week abortion ban
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Wednesday the state can keep banning abortions around six weeks after conception by agreeing with the earliest interpretation offered of when a heartbeat starts. The justices unanimously ruled that while the medical language in the 2023 law was vague, supporters and opponents of the law all seemed to think it banned abortions after six weeks until Planned Parenthood lost its challenge to the entire law two years ago. The law says abortions cannot be performed after an ultrasound can detect “cardiac activity, or the ...