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The South Carolina Legislature passed a bill Tuesday prohibiting abortion after 19 weeks, becoming the 17th state to pass the restrictive ban. The legislation will now head to Gov. Nikki Haley's desk. The Republican said in March she will almost certainly sign it, but wants to look at the details once it reaches her. Similar laws are in effect in 12 states. They've been blocked by court challenges in three others, and the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on the ban's constitutionality. A South Dakota law signed in March takes effect this summer. (Adcox, 5/17)

The bill’s passage in the Legislature is a huge victory for abortion opponents. They pushed the 20-week ban asserting that a fetus can feel pain at that age – a point disputed in the medical community. Haley is expected to sign the bill into law. “I can’t imagine any scenario in which I wouldn’t sign it,” the Lexington Republican said in March, adding she wanted to see the details before making a final decision. (Self, 5/17)

Kansas will not cut off Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood until July 7 in what marks the third delay in two weeks as the state works to prepare for a lawsuit over its action against the abortion provider. Planned Parenthood sued Kansas earlier this month over the state's decision to end Medicaid funding starting on May 10 — a cutoff date that the state has repeatedly moved back so that attorneys and the judge could prepare for the first hearing in the federal lawsuit. (5/17)

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Tuesday that repeals a pair of laws targeting abortion that state attorneys said appeared to be indefensible in court but signed another bill that opponents say is designed to make it easier to cut off abortion providers from Medicaid funding. (Christie, 5/17)