South Carolina Republicans vote to ban ‘virtually all’ abortions in the state

The bill 'is designed to revisit Roe v. Wade', according to Republicans in the state

The bill would make roughly 97 per cent of the state's abortions illegal, according to an analysis (Reuters)

State senators in South Carolina have voted to outlaw virtually all abortions in the state in a long shot bid to force the overturn of the 1973 US Supreme Court decision that affirmed abortion rights.

Republicans in the state Senate voted on the measure Wednesday night, approving the bill in a 28-10 vote. The bill would ban abortions, and only grant exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergencies where a pregnancy could cause serious harm to the mother or threaten her life.

The bill faces tough odds to becoming law, according to the The State, a newspaper in Columbia. That is because the bill comes up against a Democratic filibuster in the state legislature that could push a final vote off until the legislative session finishes for the year.

“It’s designed to give the court an opportunity to revisit Roe v. Wade,” state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, a Republican, said of the bill, referencing that 1973 Supreme Court decision.

Analysis of the bill has found that it would likely ban about 97 per cent of the 5,700 abortions that are performed in he state each year, according to Democrats.

If made into law, the bill would almost surely face an immediate court challenge, and Democrats in the state have signalled that they are ready for that possibility.

“It’s clearly unconstitutional from my point of view,” state Senator Brad Hutto, a Democrat, said.

Mr Hutto has been involved in the process, however, and has stated that he hopes the legislature will vote on the bill so the they can stop debating the abortion issue repeatedly.

“It’s an attempt to get it to the courts so we don’t have to keep debating it over and over,” Mr Hutto said. Mr Hutto is an attorney and says he is confident that the ban would be struck down in court.

The bill would still need one more vote to pass the Senate, and Republicans expect Democrats to filibuster that vote. If it passes, it would be sent to the state House for approval.

From there it would be sent to Governor Henry McMaster, who has said that he will sign any “pro-life” legislation that makes its way to his desk.