COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina Senate subcommittee has stripped protections for women who become pregnant from rape or incest from a bill that would outlaw abortions in that state after about six weeks of pregnancy.
The State reports the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee then approved the bill, voting 4-3 vote Tuesday. It's expected to advance through the full committee.
The South Carolina House added the exceptions after Republican state Rep. Nancy Mace, of Charleston, shared about her rape as a 16-year-old.
Under the bill, doctors would face criminal charges for performing abortions after a heartbeat's detected. That's typically around the sixth week of gestation — before many women known they're pregnant.
A half-dozen states have passed measures similar to the proposal. Those bans have all been blocked or overturned by federal judges.