SC Supreme Court rules state’s contested 6-week abortion ban is constitutional, can go into effect

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The S.C. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday the state’s new six-week abortion ban is constitutional, allowing the law to go into effect.

The 4-to-1 ruling comes after a new justice was elected and the General Assembly rewrote a previous six-week law. Earlier this year, the previous iteration of the court had ruled 3-2 against a different version of a six-week abortion ban, saying at the time that it violated a woman’s constitutional right to privacy.

The S.C. Supreme Court, made up of five male justices, in June heard oral arguments over whether a revived six-week abortion ban in South Carolina violates a woman’s right to privacy under the state’s constitution. Before Wednesday’s decision, the state’s 20-week abortion law was in place, making South Carolina an unlikely abortion destination in the Southeast.

Lawmakers included four exceptions in the six-week law: for rape and incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, in cases of fatal fetal anomaly, and in cases protecting the mother’s life.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling marks a historic moment in our state’s history and is the culmination of years of hard work and determination by so many in our state to ensure that the sanctity of life is protected,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. “With this victory, we protect the lives of countless unborn children and reaffirm South Carolina’s place as one of the most pro-life states in America.”