Christians for Personhood ( CP )
Columbia, South Carolina
February 12, 2018
(Audio / Video)
SC Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Rankin (RINO-Horry) continues his 2017-2018 obstruction of SC Personhood Bill S .217:
1) Truncated Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Feb 6; did not reach S .217 on Agenda
2) Cancelled Senate standing Judiciary Committee meeting Feb 13
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In the six Tuesdays since the 2018 Session of the SC Legislature convened on January 9, as of tomorrow February 13, Chairman Luke Rankin will have called Senate Judiciary Committee meetings on only two ( Jan 30 and Feb 6 ) of these six dates, and S .217, the SC Personhood Bill, will have been discussed in only one – Jan 30.
So instead of passing the bill out of the Senate Judiciary Committee when it first appeared on the Agenda on May 2, 2017, Senator Rankin has now successfully delayed passage out of his Judiciary Committee until at least February 20, 2018 – using the committee process to kill the bill while minimizing his legislative record “fingerprints” on its death.
Read more details of Senator Luke Rankin‘s delaying tactics, “slow-walking” S .217 last year through the entire 2017 Legislative Session here and here and here.
Before the beginning of the 2018 Session, stated goals were to have S .217 favorably passed out of Senate Judiciary Committee by January 16; assigned Special Order status under Senate Rules Committee by January 30; passed with no “exceptions” amendments by full SC Senate by April 10, and passed with no “exceptions” amendments by full SC House by the last day of the regular 2018 Session, May 10. However, we are now about one month behind this timetable.
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More SC Personhood Bill S217 News:
1) Brave, bold, Recall Motion by Senator Shane Martin (R-Spartanburg), Christian, Baptist Deacon, SC Personhood Bill S .217 co-sponsor, on Tuesday, Feb 6 in full Senate chamber, to pull S .217 directly out of the Republican-majority [ 14 R, 9 D ] Senate Judiciary Committee, and onto the Senate calendar. The Recall Vote failed: 10 Ayes [ 10 R, 0 D ] – 34 Nays [ 16 R, 18 D ].
2) Amendment to SC Personhood Bill S .217 proposed by five Senators co-sponsoring S .217 intended to “clarify” certain “cases” ( life of the mother, contraceptives, in vitro ) broadcast publicly by e-mail on Feb 8 by Personhood South Carolina, described as a “GOOD CLARIFYING AMENDMENT TO BE SUPPORTED”, is actually flawed and if attached to S .217 as written would undermine Personhood principle in the bill.
[ Christians for Personhood’s initial recommendation ( Feb 2 ) for Amendment language was sent to these same Senators ahead of the Feb 6 Senate Judiciary Committee meeting; revised recommended Amendment language ( Feb 8 ) was sent to these same Senators ahead of the anticipated (now cancelled) Feb 13 Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. ] Christians are asked to please pray only principled Personhood amendment language will actually be offered at the next meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee ( February 20th ? ) by Senators co-sponsoring SC Personhood Bill S .217.
Note: By definition, there are no “exceptions” to Human ( Natural ) Personhood:
Black’s Law Dictionary (2009): Person = “A Human Being”
“person. … 1. A human being. – Also termed natural person.”
http://christianlifeandliberty.net/2013-12-09-Blacks-Law-Dictionary-Person-3.pdf
Personhood Report: In Law, No Exceptions to Human Personhood
http://christiansforpersonhood.com/index.php/2018/01/30/personhood-report-in-law-no-exceptions-to-human-personhood/
Personhood Report: No Exceptions to Personhood
http://christiansforpersonhood.com/index.php/2018/01/29/personhood-report-no-exceptions-to-personhood/
If there are any “EXCEPTIONS” to Personhood, then we no longer have Personhood, nor a Personhood Bill.
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Further reporting on February 6 Judiciary Committee meeting:
Truncated Judiciary Committee meeting February 6; did not reach S .217 on Agenda:
– Instead of the normal two-hour meeting, 11am – 1 pm, at the very beginning of calling the meeting to order ( late ), Chairman Luke Rankin announced an early adjournment at 12 noon to accommodate the Senate Democrat Caucus being able to listen to a speaker on taxes, at the request of Senate Minority ( Democrat ) Leader Senator Nikki Setzler ( D-Lexington ). This may be heard on audio and seen on video below. The meeting lasted less than one hour. While most had likely expected the meeting to last the normal length ( two hours ), some knew of the shortened meeting in advance.
Audio – Beginning of February 6 Senate Judiciary Committee Meeting: Chairman, Senator Luke Rankin
http://christianlifeandliberty.net/DS_21285 (2).WMA [ Must copy and paste web address into browser ]
[ Audio – 0:57 ]
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South Carolina Legislature
Video Archives by meeting time
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/video/archives.php
Select Year: 2018
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 11:00 am
Senate Judiciary Committee — Judiciary Committee
Agenda
Gressette Senate Office Building, Room 105
Video – 55:55
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– In addition, instead of being first, as S .217 was on the January 30 Judiciary Committee Meeting Agenda, on the February 6 Judiciary Committee Agenda, set under the authority of Chairman Luke Rankin, S .217 was listed for consideration after three Workers’ Compensation Commission appointments, and after two bills related to the failed VC Summer nuclear plant project. The consequence of this lower priority for S .217 on the Agenda in combination with the truncated meeting and early adjournment, was S .217 was never
taken up at all on February 6th.
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Further reporting on February 6 Recall attempt to pull S.217 out of Judiciary Committee and place the bill on the Senate calendar:
– Brave, bold, Recall Motion by Senator Shane Martin (R-Spartanburg), Christian, Baptist Deacon, SC Personhood Bill S .217 co-sponsor, on Tuesday, Feb 6 in full Senate chamber, to pull S .217 directly out of the Republican-majority [ 14 R, 9 D ] Senate Judiciary Committee, and onto the Senate calendar. The Recall Vote failed: 10 Ayes [ 10 R, 0 D ] – 34 Nays [ 16 R, 18 D ].
– In the afternoon, Tuesday, February 6, in the full SC Senate chamber, experienced (3rd term in office), Christian, pro-Personhood Senator Shane Martin made a bold, surprise motion during the daily Motion Period to RECALL S .217 Personhood Bill directly out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and onto the full Senate calendar. Unfortunately, only 10 Senators supported this courageous act to bypass the obstruction of Senator Luke Rankin and others.
The 10 Senators (all Republicans) who voted Feb 6 FOR the Recall ( Ayes ) of S217 are:
Alexander, Cash, Corbin, Cromer, Davis, Gambrell, Martin, Peeler, Rice, and Timmons.
The 34 who voted AGAINST the Recall ( Nays ) were 16 Republicans and 18 Democrats:
16 Republicans
Bennett, Campbell, Campsen, Climer, Goldfinch, Gregory, Grooms, Hembree, Leatherman, Massey, Rankin, Senn, Shealy, Talley, Turner, Young
18 Democrats
Allen, Fanning, Hutto, Jackson, Johnson, Kimpson, Malloy, Matthews (John), Matthews (Margie), McElveen, McLeod, Nicholson, Reese, Sabb, Scott, Setzler, Sheheen, Williams
This Roll Call vote is recorded in the February 6, 2018 Senate Journal here. [ Senator Verdin had leave. ]
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The Official Archived Video of the SC Senate for February 6, 2018 can be viewed here:
South Carolina Legislature
Video Archives by meeting time
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/video/archives.php
Select Year: 2018
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 2:00 pm
Senate — Senate
SC State House – Senate Chamber
Video – 1:39:50
Begin viewing 1:14:45 – Lt Gov Bryant: “We are now in the Motion Period. Senator from Spartanburg, for what purpose do you rise?”
Senator Shane Martin: “Rise to make a Motion.
Lt Gov Bryant: “Please state your Motion.”
Senator Shane Martin: “My Motion is to pull Senate Bill 217, the Personhood Bill, out of the Committee on Judiciary, and place it on the calendar.”
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continued… [ Includes a Roll Call vote on a Motion to Adjourn, which failed 19 Ayes – 21 Nays ]
Begin viewing 1:20:15 – Senator Luke Rankin [ To speak in opposition to Senator Martin’s Recall Motion ]
[ Excerpts: Senator Rankin comments 1:20:15 – 1:24:20 ]
– “… I’m not here to speak for or against the merits of this bill, but what I am here to speak on, are the merits, or perhaps if you don’t like what has developed thus far, the demerits, of the effort to consider this bill.”
“The effort thus far, has been to have a Subcommittee, which met a number of times,…”
[ Correction: The Subcommittee actually met TWO TIMES: March 30, 2017 and April 26, 2017. ]
“The Subcommittee reported its bill in the first full Committee meeting which we had last Tuesday [ Jan 30 ] …”
[ Correction: The S.217 Subcommittee report was first on the Agenda of the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on May 2, 2017, during the week before the end of the regular 2017 Session on May 11, 2017. ]
OVER NINE MONTHS EARLIER. ]
[ Re: Jan 30 Jud Comm meeting ] “We had an hour and I think 30 minutes of discussion on this bill, and if you didn’t like what happened at the end of that hour and 30 minutes of discussion on that bill, which was to carry over further consideration of that bill, by a vote of 19 to 4, then you don’t like the committee process, perhaps, and you want to bypass that, and you want to come straight to the floor.”
[ Correction: The official minutes of the Senate Judiciary Committee record the carry over vote was 18 to 5. ]
“I’m not here for or against.the merits of the bill. I am against an effort, to effectively, to hijack the committee process. If we can’t wait ONE WEEK to have a bill considered in the Committee, which is vested with the jurisdiction to consider that bill, then you may as well check out of the Committee process. Let’s bypass the Committee, and let’s just bring it all to the floor.”
[ Comment: The Judiciary Committee last considered S.217 on January 30, and now it looks like it will not be considered again, at the earliest, until February 20, THREE WEEKS later ! ]
“I submit to ya, that’s what this [ Recall ] effort is, bypassing the committee process.”
[ Comment: This bill S .217 was filed January 10, 2017. Senator Rankin took well over two months until March 22, 2017 to even assign the bill to a Subcommittee, and he appointed a pro-“abortion” Subcommittee Chairwoman, who then took almost the rest of the 2017 Session to conduct TWO Subcommittee hearings, March 30 and April 26, 2017. ]
“A vote to carry this over today, rather to set this and recall it, is a slap to this Senate, and a slap to the committee process .”
[ Senator Rankin END – 1:24:20 ]
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continued…
Begin viewing 1:25:00 – Senator Shane Martin [ To speak in favor of his Recall Motion ]
[ Excerpts: Senator Martin comments 1:25:00 – 1:29:00 ]
“… I saw an opportunity today to be recognized in the Motion Period, which I may never get again, but I took the opportunity, I didn’t have a chance to talk to anybody about it.”
“So I rise today, I didn’t know this was gonna happen, but I’ve been here in this Senate long enough, and one of my issues is protecting life and protecting unborn children. That’s what this bill does. Senator Cash, I believe, Senator from Anderson, is here mainly for that issue, … a lot of people are. I’ve watched the committee process, I respect the committee process, but I also watch filibusters by committee happen all the time. This issue of personhood has been around ever since I’ve been in the Senate. … We can’t continue to wait, and go through more filibusters by committee.” [ emphasis added ]
“So that’s why I rise today. I want to get this out of committee where it’s languished for years and years. I know we’re just in 2018, and we had one meeting, and I appreciate that, but I feel the next meeting is gonna be more of the same, so until we take the time to debate this issue, that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing. I apologize for not giving you notice, because I couldn’t give you notice. If I gave you notice, I wouldn’t have gotten recognized in the Motion Period.”
“So that’s why I rise today. I just ask, continue my Motion, Mr. President, and ask for a roll call vote.”
[ Senator Martin END – 1:29:10 ]
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continued…
Begin viewing 1:25:00 – Senator Margie Bright Matthews [ To speak in opposition to Senator Martin’s Recall Motion ]
[ Excerpts: Senator Bright Matthews comments 1:29:10 – 1:31:25 ]
“… I was the Subcommittee Chair for this committee. Last year we had several, extensive, two hour plus meetings where we heard citizens and persons for and against S.217.
[ Correction: The Subcommittee actually met TWO TIMES: March 30, 2017 ( almost 1 1/2 hours of testimony ) and April 26, 2017 ( approx. 1 3/4 hours of testimony ). NEITHER Subcommittee hearing took over two hours of testimony. During the Subcommittee meeting on April 26, 2017, Senator Bright Matthews (attorney) abused her power as Chair and skipped over at least two Pro-Personhood speakers on the sign-up list, including a Christian woman with 34 years experience as Director of the Care Pregnancy Center, who was prepared to speak on her experience dealing with clients regarding the DAMAGE DONE TO WOMEN BY “ABORTION”. So this Pro-Personhood testimony was blocked from being heard in the April 26, 2017 Subcommittee Hearing by Senator Rankin’s pro-“abortion” chairwoman. ]
“I think what we’re doing here is a disrespect to our own deliberative process. We’ve only had this in our Committee once. It was at the top of the agenda this morning [ Feb 6 ] behind the Workers’ Compensation folks that we had to approve.
[ Correction: The S.217 Subcommittee report was first on the Agenda of the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on May 2, 2017, during the week before the end of the regular 2017 Session on May 11, 2017. ]
OVER NINE MONTHS EARLIER. ]
“… Let me explain to you, … it came out in the first committee meeting that there’s a lot of confusion about what a fertilized egg is, versus an embryo, and a .. fetus. This bill specifically says, and it was brought out in subcommittee and committee, that this bill, if you look at science, is fraught with a lot of problems. It says that a fertilized egg should be given the rights of a person. Don’t you realize that a fertilized egg happens when a man and a woman come together, and only a small percentage of those enter the uterus? They have to enter the uterus before they can even become an embryo and then a fetus. It became apparent to me, and my Subcommittee meetings, that a lot of people didn’t understand the science of what this bill says. It’s fraught with a lot of problems. I ask you to allow the process to work and send this, make this stay in committee until we work out the problems.”
[ Note: The SC Personhood Act ( S .217) passed favorably out of the S217 Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Wednesday, April 26, shortly before 11am, by a vote of 3 Yeas ( Rice , Gambrell, Talley) to 2 Nays (Bright Matthews, McLeod). ]
Glory to God !
– SC PERSONHOOD ACT ( S.217) passes Senate Judiciary Subcommittee favorably by 3Y-2N vote – April 26, 2017
http://christiansforpersonhood.com/index.php/2017/04/28/glory-to-god-sc-personhood-act-s-217-passes-senate-judiciary-subcommittee-favorably-by-3y-2n-vote-april-26-2017/
April 27, 2017 / Revised April 28, 2017 / Revised July 5, 2017
[ Senator Bright Matthews END – 1:31:25 ]
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continued… [ Includes a second Roll Call vote on a Motion to Adjourn, which failed 21 Ayes – 22 Nays ]
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/sj18/20180206.htm#p25
The vote on the Recall Motion then took place, which failed 10 Ayes – 34 Nays
http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess122_2017-2018/sj18/20180206.htm#p25
Having failed to received the necessary votes, the Senate refused to recall S. 217.
Statement by Senator GROOMS
Let me be clear — I support S. 217 and want it to become law. My vote today was against a procedural motion only. The motion, while noble in its intent, was misguided. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the Senate, had today’s sudden attempt to bypass the committee process over the objection of the committee chairman would have ensured one thing only — the certain failure of S. 217. Full, open, and transparent vetting of the people’s business is essential to good government, and is a bedrock principle upon which our state and our very nation were founded. I remain in favor of the Bill, and in our common goal of protecting the life of the most innocent among us.
