The History of Personhood South Carolina

2012

On January 18, Personhood USA (now the Personhood Alliance) held a Presidential Prolife Form at the Hilton in Greenville, SC, hosting then presidential candidates Governor Rick Perry, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senator Rich Santorum, and Representative Ron Paul. Dan Becker, then the president of Georgia Right to Life, would go on to oversee several political victories for the defense of life in that state and later founded the National Personhood Alliance. He would literally write the book on Personhood and influence many other leaders in the movement.

2014

In June, 2014, the GOP primary ballot contained two advisory questions. One question was a personhood question, and it asked voters the following:

Should Article I, Section 3 of the South Carolina Constitution be amended to include the following language?

The privileges and immunities of citizens of South Carolina and the United States shall not be abridged, so that no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws. These rights shall extend to both born and pre-born persons beginning at conception.

Over 300,000 ballots were cast in the June GOP primary and 79% of them voted yes on the personhood question.

2015

Pro-life activists and the South Carolina Pastors (SCPA) alliance asked Sen. Lee Bright and Rep. Bill Chumley to introduce identical bills in the legislature that were worded exactly as the advisory question. S719 was introduced on April 28, 2015, and H4093 was introduced on April 29, 2015. The purpose of these bills was to put a personhood amendment to the South Carolina Constitution on the general election ballot in November 2016.

After the bills were introduced, the SCPA sent a letter to every South Carolina Senator and Representative on May 4, 2015, asking them to sign a pledge of support for these bills.

On June 2, 2015, the SCPA held a press conference with legislators to promote S719 and H4093. The event was held in the second-floor lobby of the Capitol building, between the Senate and House chambers.

In September, having read Dan Becker’s book on Personhood and attended the 2012 Presidential forum, current State Senator Richard Cash formed a non-profit, Personhood South Carolina, to help coordinate efforts to pass S719 and H4093. He registered as a lobbyist for Personhood SC and began speaking to legislators and groups about the personhood amendment project.

2016

In order for the personhood amendment to be on the ballot in November, at least two-thirds of both houses had to pass S719 and H4093 before the legislative session ended in June. The Senate passed S719 out of Judiciary Committee, but an objection put it on the contested calendar, which meant a special order would be required to bring it to the floor of the Senate for a simple majority vote. Senator Ronnie Cromer, Head of the Rules Committee, took a vote for special order — which failed by one vote.

A second attempt to obtain special order was made from the Senate floor, but failed to receive the necessary two-thirds majority. The Personhood Constitutional Amendment bill died with the end of the legislative session in June 2016.

2017

In January of 2017 personhood legislation was submitted to the State Senate by Senator Kevin Bryant (later Lieutenant Governor) and to the State House of Representatives by Representative Steven Long. Both bills were referred to their Judiciary Committees. Finally, in late March, Senator Luke Rankin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, submitted S217 to a five-member subcommittee, chaired by Democrat Senator Margie Bright-Matthews.

On March 30, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee heard testimony concerning S217. Among others, Lieutenant Governor Kevin Bryant and Allan Parker of The Justice Foundation, spoke eloquently in support of the bill. S.217 passed favorably out of the subcommittee and was brought to the full Senate Judiciary Committee. At the final Judiciary meeting of 2017, the bill was carried over to the 2018 session.

2018

After vigorous debate, S217 was passed by a 12-9 vote in the full Senate Judiciary Committee on February 20, 2018. Governor Henry McMaster vigorously supported the bill, urging the Senate to get S217 to his desk. The bill then sat on the contested calendar until, in a surprise maneuver, it was debated on the floor of the senate on May 1, 2018. Senator Richard Cash spoke eloquently on the bill. On that day a committee amendment addressing contraceptives, in vitro fertilization, and life of the mother and child was adopted by a vote of 38-2. After a motion by Senator Cash failed to carry the bill over, the bill was again contested. The 2018 session ended without a vote on the bill.

2019

With legislative focus on the incrementalist Heartbeat Bill, the Personhood Act (H3920 & S485) stalled in the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. House Chairman Peter McCoy and Senate Chairman Luke Rankin did not submit the Personhood Act to subcommittee hearings.

2020

In the midst of a contentious general election and COVID-19, Personhood SC sent the Personhood Pledge to candidates for the South Carolina state Senate and House of Representatives. The pledge asked candidates and incumbents to affirm the following:

Personhood South Carolina is devoted to restoring the right to life for all preborn South Carolinians, beginning at conception, without exception. This is the essence of the pro-life movement.

68 candidates responded, with over thirty legislators pledging to defend life.