The Charleston Diocese released the following statement related to Gov. Henry McMaster signing the S.C. Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act into law:
“This is a historic day in South Carolina in the Church’s effort to protect the unborn. Every human life is sacred from the moment of conception until natural death. This new law will save the lives of our most vulnerable from the moment their heartbeat is detected.”
The Fetal Heartbeat Bill would ban abortions at the time a heartbeat is detected, with limited exceptions, bringing legal abortions effectively down from twenty weeks to eight weeks.Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey says, “Pro-life values are South Carolina values.”
Bill sponsor Senator Larry Grooms says, “Life is the most precious right we have. The government’s primary duty is to protect the fundamental right to life. Without life, no other rights really matter. We know that a heartbeat is the most universal and most recognizable sign of life. There is no denying the fact that when you end a heartbeat, you end a life. The Heartbeat Bill respects this fundamental right.