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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi senators have passed a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which would be the earliest in the nation.
Senators voted 35-14 Tuesday to pass House Bill 1510. It was being held for the possibility of more debate, sending it back to the House.
The move comes as abortion opponents nationwide are probing whether the U.S. Supreme Court will approve laws that limit abortion before a fetus is viable outside the womb.
The measure would prohibit abortions 15 weeks after the pregnant woman's last menstrual period. The only exceptions are a mother's medical emergency related to the pregnancy or a fetal medical abnormality that makes it "incompatible with life."
Senators amended the bill to strip out possible felony charges for physicians who perform abortions later than 15 weeks.
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