Rogue “Republicans”

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How 6 “Republican” Senators Denied Protection From Conception For All South Carolinians.

The Timeline:

The SC Fetal Heartbeat Act (2021)

On February 18, 2021, Governor McMaster signed South Carolina’s first Fetal Heartbeat Bill into law after the bill received bi-partisan approval by the SC General Assembly.  This bill was immediately opposed by Planned Parenthood, who filed a lawsuit the exact same day, claiming the law as unconstitutional.  After intervention by Governor McMaster and others, the federal district court issued a preliminary injunction on the new law on March 19, 2021. This injunction sent the cut-off for legal abortion back to 20 weeks of gestation.

 The Dobbs Decision (June 24, 2022)

By the Grace of God, the Supreme Court of the United States declared that abortion was not a right that is constitutionally protected.  For the first time, the decision regarding abortion regulations was kicked back to the states.  As a result of this, the Fetal Heartbeat Act of 2021 took effect in SC on June 27th, 2022, after more than a year being blocked by the federal courts.

Unsurprisingly, abortion providers filed a new challenge to the law, which again blocked the law from taking effect while the court proceedings went on.

2022 Human Life Protection Act (H5399)

After the Dobb’s decision kicked abortion back to the states, the SC Legislature took up the cause of life again.  The SC House passed by a vote of 67 to 35 a ban on abortion, from conception.  This was then amended by the Senate Medical Affairs committee to remove rape and incest exceptions.  This was a significant step forward from the 2021 Heartbeat Law, now providing protection, from conception, for South Carolinians.

This put the ball, once again, into the court of the SC Senate.  It was here, that the RINO’s came out of the bag.  What follows will detail how Senators Hembree, Rankin, Davis, Seen, Shealy, and Gustafson stood in direct opposition to providing protection to all human beings in SC.

“We affirm — as did the Declaration of Independence: that all are created equal, endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights of LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

-The Republican Party Platform

Tom Davis–District 46

“Im not going to let this (bill) come to a vote unless this body votes and sits me down.”  This was spoken by Senator Davis from the floor of the Senate on Thursday, September 8th.  Davis, along with the other senators, stood in direct opposition to a bill that would allow for protection, from conception, for South Carolinians.

Katrina Shealy– District 23

“If you want to believe that God is wanting you to push a bill through with no exception that kills mothers and ruins the lives of children, lets mothers bring home babies to bury them, then I think you’re miscommunicating with God, or maybe not communicating with him at all.”

Penry Gustafson–District 27

“We need to face reality, y’all.  We don’t live in the dark ages.”

Sandy Senn–District 41

“Abortion laws have always been, each and every one of them, about control, plain and simple.”

H5399 fails to Pass Senate, Leaving SC as an Abortion Destination State

Because of the opposition of the 6 “Republican” senators, as well as the Democrats, the Senate amended the bill to be seemingly identical to the 2021 fetal heartbeat act.  After having a heartbeat bill passed in 2021, and the momentous decision by the Supreme Court to kick the abortion decision back to the states, SC was unable to move forward and gain ground in the cause for life.  Below are the votes that were compiled during the Senate hearings concerning on H5399.

September 7, 2022

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj21/20210127.htm#p6

  1. Roll Call vote on Amendment 12 To strike section 44-41-680 in its entirety
      • Struck the requirement to report the allegation of rape or incest to the county sheriff.
        • Personhood Pro Life Vote- NO
          • Rankin—Yes
          • Hembree—Yes
          • Davis—Yes
          • Senn—No
          • Gustafson—Yes
          • Shealy—Yes
  2. Davis and Gustafson Amendment to add section 44-41-830
    • TABLING VOTE—Senator Cash
      • Personhood Pro-Life Vote—Yes
          • Rankin—Yes
          • Hembree—No
          • Davis—No
          • Senn—No
          • Gustafson—No
          • Shealy—No
  3. Senator Cash Amendment to amend section 44-41-810
      • Personhood Pro-Life Vote—Yes
          • Rankin—No
          • Hembree—No
          • Davis—No
          • Senn—No
          • Gustafson—No
          • Shealy—No
  4. Davis and Gustafson Amendment to add subsection to 44-41-820
    • Personhood Pro-Life Vote—No
          • Rankin—Yes
          • Hembree—Yes
          • Davis—Yes
          • Senn—Yes
          • Gustafson—Yes
          • Shealy—Yes
  5. TABLING VOTE of Davis and Gustafson amendment to add increased DHEC requirements
    • Personhood Pro-Life Vote—Yes
          • Rankin—Yes
          • Hembree—Yes
          • Davis—No
          • Senn—Yes
          • Gustafson—No
          • Shealy—Yes
  6. TABLING VOTE by Senator Cash to table Davis and Gustafson amendment to add to subsection 44-41-820
    • Personhood Pro-Life Vote—Yes
          • Rankin—No
          • Hembree—No
          • Davis—No
          • Senn—No
          • Gustafson—No
          • Shealy—No

September 8, 2022

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj22/20220908.htm#p4

  1. Motion to bring debate to a close on Human Life Protection Act
    • Personhood Pro-Life Vote—Yes
          • Rankin—No
          • Hembree—Yes
          • Davis—No
          • Senn—No
          • Gustafson—No
          • Shealy—No
  2. Second Motion to bring debate to a close
    • Personhood Pro-Life Vote—Yes
          • Rankin—No Vote
          • Hembree—No
          • Davis—No
          • Senn—No
          • Gustafson—No
          • Shealy—No

What Now?

All is out on the table.  It is not difficult to see that the Senators above (Shealy, Sean, Gustafson, Rankin, Hembree, and Davis) have been derelict in their duty as Republican Senators in SC!  There is an election coming soon.  Will we let our pro-life voices be heard?  Or will we continue to kick the can down the road?  The ball is now SQUARELY in our court.  Will we stand principled? Or will we cower away in fear and laziness.  May God grant courage to South Carolinians to stand up for the voiceless in South Carolina!

References

  1. https://amp.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article267389442.html
  2. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/09/09/politics/south-carolina-senate-near-total-abortion-ban-bill-fails/index.html
  3. https://www.axios.com/2022/09/09/south-carolina-abortion-ban-filibuster
  4. https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/south-carolina-senate-passes-fetal-heartbeat-abortion-ban-after-rejecting-near-total-abortion-ban-4720318?saved=0?welcomeuser=1

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