New Six-Week Abortion Ban Goes to South Carolina Supreme Court

The future of access to abortion in South Carolina is up in the air once again, as the state’s top court Tuesday appeared to be divided over whether to overturn a new law that’s substantially similar to an earlier six-week ban it struck down in January.

The South Carolina Supreme Court was one of the first top courts to consider if a state constitution offered more protection for abortion than the federal constitution, following the US Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

In a 3-2 decision, the state top held that a so-called “heartbeat” ...