Judge halts South Carolina’s new stricter abortion law until state Supreme Court review

By JEFFREY COLLINS
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A judge has put a temporary halt to South Carolina’s new law banning most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy until the state Supreme Court can review the measure. The ruling Friday by Judge Clifton Newman came just about 24 hours after Gov. Henry McMaster signed the bill. The decision means South Carolina reverts back to a ban around 20 weeks. The new law is similar to a ban on abortion once cardiac activity can be detected that lawmakers passed in 2021. Legislative leaders say the new law makes technical tweaks that should sway at least one justice to change his mind. Planned Parenthood says the differences shouldn’t change the original ruling.