West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signs near-total abortion ban into law

Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Friday signed into law a ban on almost all abortions at all stages of pregnancy, making West Virginia the second state to enact a law prohibiting the procedure since the U.S. Supreme Court's June ruling overturning its constitutional protection.

The bill will go into effect immediately, except for the criminal penalties, which will go into effect in 90 days, he said. Justice described the legislation on Twitter as "a bill that protects life."

"I said from the beginning that if WV legislators brought me a bill that protected life and included reasonable and logical exceptions I would sign it, and that's what I did today," he said.