Daily Archives: April 7, 2016

SC Personhood Amendment – For 2nd Time Senate Judiciary Committee Fails to Reach S.719 on Meeting Agenda – April 5, 2016

Published by:

Christians for Personhood ( CP )
Columbia, South Carolina
April 6, 2016

SC Personhood Amendment – For 2nd Time Senate Judiciary Committee Fails to Reach S.719 on Meeting Agenda – April 5, 2016

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1) S.719 SC Personhood Constitutional Amendment was #13 ( item “M.” ) on  the Agenda for the Tuesday, April 5th, 3PM  meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee ( 13 R, 9 D ).

2) However, there were also two Statewide Appointment  nominations for appointed positions which were scheduled for consideration by the Judiciary Committee and which were placed at the beginning of the meeting.

3) The meeting lasted just over two hours, however nearly all the time was taken up with the second of the two appointments, which was contested and took over 1 hour and 50 minutes.
[ For the record, there were eight abstentions by Senators on the final vote for the second appointee. ]
Then, in the last three minutes of the meeting, only the first item on the Agenda ( item “A.” ), was explained and voted upon before the Judiciary Committee meeting was ended by the Chairman, Senator Larry A. Martin ( R-Pickens ).

Note: Video of the entire April 5 meeting is posted here: http://scstatehouse.gov/video/videofeed.php

Video Archives by meeting time
Video – 2:04:47
Tuesday, April 5, 2016  3:00 pm
Senate Judiciary Committee — Judiciary Committee

4) The next regular Tuesday meeting of the full Senate Judiciary Committee will likely be Tuesday, April 12  at 3pm.  Once  again,  it  is  expected  that  S.719 will be taken up at that meeting.  S.719 SC Personhood Constitutional Amendment should be #12 ( item “L.” ) on the agenda for that April 12th, 3PM  meeting, unless the Chairman, Senator Larry A. Martin either: a) places something else at the beginning of the meeting, or b) places something at
the top of the agenda, both of which circumstances occurred on April 5th.

5) The meeting will likely be in Room 105 in the Senate Gressette Office Bldg., State House grounds, Columbia, South Carolina, however it is advised to check the meeting details as posted here.

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Considerations moving forward to likely April 12th Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting:

Contact made directly with Senator Greg Hembree ( R – Dillon, Horry ), and with Sean Bennett ( R – Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester ) prior to the April 5th Judiciary Committee meeting indicated each is generally favorable to S.719, however neither would commit to vote for S.719, apparently positing themselves as wishing to see what is said in the Senate Judiciary Committee when the bill is finally taken up.  It should be noted that while
both Senator Greg Hembree and Senator Sean Bennett were co-sponsors of a Personhood statutory bill ( S.457) in the 2013-2014 Session of the SC Legislature, that neither Greg Hembree nor Sean Bennett are co-sponsors of S.719 Personhood Constitutional Amendment now.  In the opinion of this writer neither Greg Hembree nor Sean Bennett can be confidently counted upon to cast their vote for S.719 Personhood Constitutional Amendment,
at this time.

The filing period for candidates for election in South Carolina ended March 30, 2016.  Several Senators who are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who have not co-sponsored and/or pledged to support S.719 Personhood Constitutional Amendment have Primary and/or General Election opposition, according to information and candidate filings posted here on the SC Election Commission website ( www.scvotes.org ), including:

1.  Rex Rice, Don Joslyn, and Allan Quinn have all filed to run as Republicans for SC Senate District #2, the seat currently occupied by 23-year incumbent Senator Larry A. Martin ( R – Pickens ).  [ June 14 Primary opponents (3) ]

Notes:  a) Rex Rice is reported to have pledged his support and vote for S.719 Personhood Constitutional Amendment. b) Don Joslyn is reported to be a Personhood legislation supporter also.

2.  Scott Pyle has filed to run as a Republican for SC Senate District #33, the seat currently occupied by 23-year incumbent Senator Rankin ( R – Horry ).  [ June 14 Primary opponent ]

3.  Evan Guthrie has filed to run as a Republican for SC Senate District #38, the seat currently occupied by freshman incumbent Senator Sean Bennett ( R – Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester ).  [ June 14 Primary opponent ]

Note:  Evan Guthrie has said he would support and vote for S.719 Personhood Constitutional Amendment.

4.  Glen Robinson has filed to run as a Republican for SC Senate District #7, the seat currently occupied by freshman incumbent Senator Karl Allen ( D – Greenville ).  [ November 8 General Election opponent ]

5.  Mark Palmer has filed to run as a Republican for SC Senate District #17, the seat currently occupied by two-term incumbent Senator Creighton Coleman ( D – Chester, Fairfield, York ).  [ November 8 General Election opponent ]

Note:  Mark Palmer has said he would supports S.719 Personhood Constitutional Amendment.

6.  Leon Winn has filed to run as a Republican for SC Senate District #36, the seat currently occupied by freshman incumbent Senator Kevin L. Johnson ( D – Chester, Fairfield, York ).  [ November 8 General Election opponent ]

One last point, under normal procedures, legislation from one chamber must be passed and sent to the other chamber by May 1 in any particular year for the legislation to be taken up on the floor of the receiving body.

For example, S.719 Personhood Constitutional Amendment needs to be passed by the SC Senate and sent to the SC House by May 1, 2016 to be considered on the floor of the SC House in the 2016 Session.  We are in the second year of the 2015-2016 Session.  Any legislation that is not passed in 2016 is dead, and would need to be re-filed for the 2017-2018 Session.

NOTE:  This May 1st rule could be waived by a 2/3 vote of those present and voting in the House ( or vice versa if a bill ( e.g., H.4093 ) was being sent from the House to the Senate.

Senate Rule 47 ( 2015 SC Legislative Manual, p. 251 ), House Rule 5.12 ( 2015 SC Legislative Manual, p. 299)

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As explained in the previous April 3 e-mail below:

Please continue to contact or re-contact one or all of these seven ( 7 ) Senators, asking them:

Sean Bennett ( R – Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester )  [ freshman Senator 2013 – 2016 ]

Greg Hembree ( R – Dillon, Horry ) [ freshman Senator 2013 – 2016 ]

Paul Thurmond ( R – Charleston, Dorchester ) [ freshman Senator 2013 – 2016, not running for re-election ]

Luke A. Rankin ( R – Horry ) [ 23-year incumbent Senator 1993 – 2016 ]

George E. “Chip” Campsen, III ( R – Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton ) [ 11-year incumbent Senator 2005 – 2016 ]

J. Thomas McElveen, III ( D – Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter )  [ freshman Senator 2013 – 2016 ]

Ronnie A. Sabb ( D – Berkeley, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Williamsburg )  [ freshman Senator 2013 – 2016 ]

 

1) To please vote to pass S.719 SC Personhood Constitutional Amendment next Tuesday, April 12th in the Senate Judiciary Committee, to move forward the effort to put S.719 on the ballot in the November 8, 2016 General Election and let the people of South Carolina have the opportunity to vote on what is in our own State Constitution!

2) And if they cannot vote ‘Yes’ to pass S.719, then ask them to at least not vote against S.719, and to please abstain.

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If you are a Bible-believing, born again Christian, please pray for the Lord to turn the hearts of these seven ( 7 ) SC State Senators above, as well as each of the other eight ( 8 ) Senate members of the 22-man Senate Judiciary Committee ( 13 R, 9 D ) who are not signed on as  co-sponsors, or who have not pledged to support S.719 [ SC Senators Larry A. Martin, Chairman, Brad Hutto, Gerald Malloy, Creighton B. ColemanKarl B. Allen, Kevin L. Johnson, Marlon E. Kimpson, and Margie Bright Matthews ].

“The king’s heart is in the Hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water:
He turneth it whithersoever He will.”
Proverb 21:1, KJV ( with deity capitalized )

“… with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26, KJV

In Christ,

Steve Lefemine
Christians for Personhood

PO Box 12222
Columbia, SC 29211