Revised and Edited October 4, 2022
https://www.lifecyclebooks.com/usa/product/bookmark-6-week-unborn-child-pack-of-100/
Columbia, SC
SC House Non-Concurs with SC Senate’s watered-down,
revised six-week Heartbeat Bill version of H5399 – September 27, 2022;
Bill H5399 now goes back to the SC Senate;
SC Senate returns for Special Session October 18, 2022
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BACKGROUND
On Wednesday, August 31, the SC House passed (67 Y – 35 N; 3rd reading) its version of H5399 “South Carolina Human Life Protection Act” [sic] (see features of Bill below), and the Bill was sent to the SC Senate further debate.
On Thursday, September 8, the SC Senate passed (27 Y – 16 N; 3rd reading) its watered-down, revised six-week Heartbeat Bill version of H5399, and the Bill was sent back to the House to either: 1) Concur and send to the Governor; or 2) Non-Concur and send back to the Senate for either acceptance of the House version, or if not, then to send the Bill to a Conference Committee to try to work out a compromise; or 3) Amend and send back to the Senate for further debate.
Note: Neither the SC House (H5399) nor the SC Senate (H5399) passed statutory “personhood” (H5401/S1335) language in their respective original Bills.
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CURRENT STATUS
On Tuesday, September 27, the SC House, by a vote of 95 to 11, non-concurred with the SC Senate’s watered-down version of H5399, which the Senate had amended on September 8 into a revised six-week Heartbeat Bill.
The Bill H5399 now goes back to the SC Senate. The SC Senate has been called back to return for a Special Session on October 18, 2022. The SC Senate then must first decide whether to “Insist” on its version of H5399, in which case the Bill would be given to a six-man
Conference Committee ( three Representatives, three Senators ) to attempt to work out a compromise which both the House and the Senate can accept; or, alternatively, on October 18, the SC Senate could decide, to not “Insist” on its version of H5399, but to “Recede” from its version, which in effect, allows the House version of H5399 to pass, and to be sent to SC Governor Henry McMaster.
It is important to understand that at this point procedurally on October 18, A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF THE SC SENATE WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO “INSIST” UPON OR NOT TO “INSIST” UPON (TO “RECEDE” FROM) THE SENATE AMENDMENT TO H5399 MADE ON SEPTEMBER 8. There will be a Motion on the SC Senate floor by Republican Majority Leader Shane Massey (Edgefield) either to “Insist” or to “Recede”, and a vote will be taken, without debate (which means no potential filibuster). A simple majority vote determines the outcome.
Back on September 8, when Senator Massey made his cloture Motion at 5:18 pm, to stop a threatened filibuster, the cloture vote was 24Y – 20N **, just two votes short of the required 26 votes for cloture. [ This threatened filibuster was against a version of H5399 which would have banned committing an “abortion” on “a woman known to be pregnant”, but with all the exceptions of so-called life/serious health of the mother, rape/incest, and fatal fetal “anomaly” [sic]. Similar to the SC House version (which did not have a fatal fetal “anomaly” [sic] exception), this SC Senate version, which was not adopted because of the threatened filibuster and failed cloture vote, would have banned approximately 97% (using State of Florida 2020 statistics) of surgical and RU486 “abortions”. It was after the failure of this cloture vote that the Senate Bill was then amended to become the Senate’s final watered-down, revised six-week Heartbeat Bill version of H5399. ]
** SC Senate Journal – September 8, 2022
https://scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj22/20220908.htm
[ Note: The five pro-“abortion” “Republicans” who voted against cloture on the H5399 version which would have banned 97% of surgical and RU486 “abortions” were: Senators Tom Davis (BEAUFORT), Penry Gustafson (KERSHAW), Greg Hembree (HORRY), Sandy Senn (CHARLESTON), and Katrina Shealy (LEXINGTON). The sixth “Republican” who failed to vote for cloture was Senator Luke Rankin (HORRY) who departed (fled?) the Senate chamber about 25 minutes before the cloture vote on “Leave” *** (!?). ]
*** SC Senate Journal – September 8, 2022
https://scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/sj22/20220908.htm
However, in the 46-member Senate (30 R, 16 D), 24 votes is a simple majority.
Therefore, when the SC Senate returns for the Special Session on October 18, THE SAME 24 SC SENATORS WHO VOTED FOR H5399 CLOTURE ON SEPTEMBER 8, WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO PREVAIL ON A VOTE TO “RECEDE”, AND ALLOW THE SC HOUSE VERSION OF H5399 TO PASS.
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All that said, the JUST action (Micah 6:8, Amos 5:15, Proverbs 21:3, KJV) for the SC Legislature to take has not been to pass the unjust SC Senate version of H5399, which would ban approximately 52% of the surgical and RU486 child-murders by “abortion” in South Carolina; nor to pass the unjust SC House version of H5399, which would ban approximately 98% of the surgical and RU486 child-murders by “abortion” in South Carolina; but to pass Personhood Bills H5401/S1335 to ESTABLISH JUSTICE and ultimately END AND ABOLISH ALL CHILD-MURDER BY “ABORTION” IN SOUTH CAROLINA. The SC House had the option of amending H5399 with the Personhood Bills H5401/S1335 language on September 27; however the SC House voted only to non-concur with the SC Senate’s watered-down, revised six-week Heartbeat Bill version of H5399.
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The SC GOP Platform is a PERSONHOOD Platform:
‘The South Carolina Republican Party Platform’
https://sc.gop/assets/uploads/2021/12/SCGOP-Platform.pdf
Excerpt:
The Right to Life
“We believe the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection applies to unborn children.
Unborn children should be classified as legal persons not as legal property.”
[ Emphasis added ]
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The Personhood Act of SC H5401/S1335 recognizes the Creator God-given, inherent, unalienable right to life of every human being as a natural person beginning at fertilization, in SC law, with no exceptions, because God says, “Thou shalt not kill (murder). Exodus 20:13, KJV.
Black’s Law Dictionary (2009): Person = “A Human Being”
person. A human being. – Also termed natural person.
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SC HOUSE VERSION OF H5399
The SC House version of H5399 “South Carolina Human Life Protection Act” [sic] passed August 30, 2022 (2nd reading) has these features:
1) Bans “abortion” beginning at point of “clinically diagnosable pregnancy” [ i.e., not at conception ] with these “exceptions“:
a) So-called life/serious health of the mother [ See DublinDeclaration.com ]
b) Rape/incest
2) Describes ‘Unborn human being’ or ‘unborn child’ or ‘preborn child’ or ‘preborn human being’ or ‘fetus’ with the Creator and Creation-denying Darwinian Evolutionary terminology “organism of the species homo sapiens” [ See “Homo sapiens” ]
3) Restricts practice associated with in vitro fertilization of “selective reduction” (destroying “excess” embryos implanted in woman’s uterus); does not ban “pre-implantation genetic screening” (eugenics); nor indefinite cryo-freezing of embryos; nor disposal or unwanted frozen embryos; nor donation of frozen embryos for medical “research” (destruction).
4) Does not ban certain “birth control” methods which are capable of functioning not only as contraceptives, but alternatively as abortifacients. Such “birth control” methods are generally, incompletely and inaccurately only called “contraceptives”, when in fact these drugs and devices are capable of functioning either as contraceptives or as abortifacients. Such “birth control” is capable of causing the early chemical “abortion” of human lives by disrupting implantation of these human beings in the uterus at 6 – 10 days after fertilization. Human life begins at fertilization (conception), not implantation.
5) Does not statutorily recognize the Creator God-given personhood of every human being beginning at fertilization, with no exceptions, and therefore does not provide due process, nor equal protection of the laws, and therefore does not establish justice.
6) Would ban approximately 98% (using State of Florida 2020 statistics) of surgical and RU486 “abortions” in South Carolina. This would likely bring an end to all surgical and RU486 “abortions” at the two Planned Parenthood “abortion” centers in Columbia and Charleston, and would bring an end to at least 98% of the surgical and RU486 “abortions” at the Greenville Women’s “Clinic” [sic].
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SC SENATE VERSION OF H5399
The SC Senate watered-down six-week Heartbeat Bill version of H5399 “… TO PROHIBIT ABORTIONS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA ” [sic] passed September 8, 2022 (3rd reading) has these features:
1) Repeals the “Roe vs. Wade” framework in “SECTION 44-41-20. Legal Abortions.” that currently exists in the SC Code of Laws, Title 44, Chapter 41: “Section 44-41-20 of the 1976 Code is repealed.”
2) Bans committing “an abortion on a pregnant woman” carrying a “human fetus” “whose fetal heartbeat has been detected …” [ i.e., protection beginning at approximately six-weeks after conception ], and with these “exceptions”:
a) So-called life/serious health of the mother [ See DublinDeclaration.com ]
b) Rape/incest
c) Fatal fetal “anomaly” [sic]
3) Codifies State funding of “abortions” for so-called life/serious health of the mother, rape, and incest cases in the State Health Insurance Plan.
4) No State funds “to purchase fetal tissue obtained from an abortion or fetal remains,…”
5) No State funds for Planned Parenthood for “abortions”.
6) Does not restrict practice associated with in vitro fertilization of “selective reduction” (destroying “excess” embryos implanted in woman’s uterus); does not ban “pre-implantation genetic screening” (eugenics); nor indefinite cryo-freezing of embryos; nor disposal or unwanted frozen embryos; nor donation of frozen embryos for medical “research” (destruction).
7) Does not ban certain “birth control” methods which are capable of functioning not only as contraceptives, but alternatively as abortifacients. Such “birth control” methods are generally, incompletely and inaccurately only called “contraceptives”, when in fact these drugs and devices are capable of functioning either as contraceptives or as abortifacients. Such “birth control” is capable of causing the early chemical “abortion” of human lives by disrupting implantation of these human beings in the uterus at 6 – 10 days after fertilization. Human life begins at fertilization (conception), not implantation.
8) Does not statutorily recognize the Creator God-given personhood of every human being beginning at fertilization, with no exceptions, and therefore does not provide due process, nor equal protection of the laws, and therefore does not establish justice.
9) Would ban surgical and RU486 “abortions” in South Carolina beginning at detection of a fetal heartbeat at approximately six-weeks. SC DHEC reported there were 6,279 “abortions” committed in South Carolina in 2021. Of these 3,272 or approximately 52% were committed at greater than six weeks post-fertilization age. So an estimated 48% (approx. 3,000) of the “abortions” committed in South Carolina would continue to be perpetrated under this SC Senate version of H5399.
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‘Open Letter to SC Senate Members: PERSONHOOD ACT OF SOUTH CAROLINA S1335′
September 1, 2022
‘Open Letter to SC House Members: PERSONHOOD: ACT OF SOUTH CAROLINA H5401′
August 29, 2022/Corrected and Revised Aug 30, 2022
Prepared Written Testimony of Steve Lefemine, exec. dir., Christians for Personhood,
for SC Senate Medical Affairs Committee – August 17, 2022
Prepared Written Testimony of Steve Lefemine, exec. dir., Christians for Personhood,
for SC House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee – July 7, 2022
Re: South Carolina – ENDING/ABOLISHING CHILD-MURDER (HOMICIDE) BY “ABORTION”
July 10, 2022
God says,
“Thou shalt not kill (murder).”
Exodus 20:13, KJV
ESTABLISH JUSTICE NOW !
END / ABOLISH Child-Murder by “Abortion” NOW !
PASS PERSONHOOD NOW !
“Personhood Act of South Carolina”
S1335
H5401 (trigger law component no longer necessary since Roe overturned now 101 days ago June 24, 2022)
(scstatehouse.gov)
Steve Lefemine
Christian pro-life, pro-personhood missionary
Christians for Personhood
PO Box 12222
Columbia, SC, 29211
CP@spiritcom.net
ChristiansforPersonhood.com