The vote on a South Carolina bill severely restricting abortion in the state grew heated Wednesday when almost every House Democrat walked out in protest of the extremely controversial legislation.
The bill, which Republicans voted to move forward after wiping out over 100 proposed amendments, would ban doctors from performing an abortion on a patient if they detect a “fetal heartbeat” ― a highly misleading phrase anti-abortion activists have seized on in recent years. Doctors would be required to check for that indicator and would only be allowed to proceed with the abortion if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or it is putting the mother’s life is in danger.