South Carolina lawmakers won't pass stricter abortion laws

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Abortion laws in South Carolina almost certainly won't get more restrictive, after Republicans in the General Assembly could not agree on a total ban on the procedure during a special legislative session Tuesday.

South Carolina was for decades at the forefront of more restrictive abortion laws that challenged Roe v. Wade even before the landmark case was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court this summer. The state requires ultrasounds, parental consent and 24-hour waiting periods before abortions.

But when faced with the real-world consequences of bans that have played out in the other states, some Republicans in South Carolina paused at the brink.

A House vote Tuesday likely killed the bill for this session. House Republicans insisted on a full ban on abortions with exceptions only for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or if the life of the mother was threatened.