Tulsa World – April 18, 2008
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A bill awaiting the South Carolina governor’s signature would require abortion providers to ask women whether they want to see ultrasound images of their fetuses before the procedure.
As part of a legislative compromise formally announced Thursday, women must wait at least an hour after seeing an ultrasound to have an abortion.
Republican state Sen. Mike Fair said he hoped women would use the time to decide against abortion.

The agreement was reached after more than a year of debate on whether women should be required to see the ultrasound.
Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, has said he supports the bill generally but would review the specifics before deciding whether to sign it.
Clinics already perform ultrasounds before nearly all abortions to verify the age of the fetus. Critics of requiring the test said they didn’t want the state to require one, arguing that it can be invasive and painful in some cases.
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