S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley Signs Law Banning Abortion At 20 Weeks

By Emanuella Grinberg

COLUMBIA, Sc. (CBS) -- South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed a bill making it illegal in the state for a woman to obtain an abortion after her pregnancy reaches 20 weeks, press secretary Chaney Adams said.

Abortions may be performed after 20 weeks only if the mother's life is in jeopardy, Adams said. The bill does not provide exceptions for rape or incest.

Supporters of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act contend that fetuses can feel pain by 20 weeks, which is debated in the medical community. A 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that "fetal perception of pain is unlikely before the third trimester."

The Republican governor's signature makes South Carolina the 13th state to enforce a ban, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota,

Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

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