South Carolina Supreme Court Upholds Six-Week Abortion Ban (1)

South Carolina can ban most abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy, the state’s top court said Wednesday.

With one justice dissenting, the South Carolina Supreme Court held that a so-called “heartbeat” abortion ban didn’t unlawfully infringe on a person’s right to privacy under the state constitution. Abortion rights advocates say the term heartbeat is misleading because the heart isn’t developed enough at this stage to make a detectable sound.

The law, which is substantially similar to one struck down by the state high court in January, was enacted in May and immediately put on hold by a lower court. ...