South Carolina House Passes Personhood Bill (albeit, with fatal flaw amendment)

The South Carolina House passed the "Right to Life Act of SC" (H.3213) recognizing pre-birth human beings as "persons" at fertilization on April 13, by a vote of 95 to 18 (Second Reading). However a killer Amendment was added at the beginning of the House floor debate (by voice vote) for a rape "morning-after-pill" EXCEPTION, which fatally flaws the bill. The bill has now been sent to the South Carolina Senate, where efforts will be made, Lord willing, to remove the internally self-contradictory EXCEPTION to establishing personhood at fertilization for all pre-birth human beings.

April 15, 2005

Steve Lefemine, pro-life missionary
dir., Columbia Christians for Life
CCL lobbyist
Columbia, SC

www.christianlifeandliberty.net
www.righttolifeactofsc.net

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http://www.covenantnews.com/abortion/archives/011434.html



House Passes Personhood Bill

The state House on Wednesday approved a bill that its primary sponsor, Rep. Ralph Davenport, says sends a message that South Carolina is a pro-life state. The bill extends the right to due process and the right to equal protection under the law to unborn children at the moment of fertilization. "This creates a situation that at conception there is personhood," said Davenport, R-Boiling Springs. "It gives babies rights that they had not had before in South Carolina."

Posted by Editor at April 14, 2005 11:04 AM

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http://www.covenantnews.com/newswire/archives/011416.html


April 14, 2005


South Carolina House Bill Extends Rights To Unborn



Personhood Bill Passes in South Carolina House


COLUMBIA -- The state House on Wednesday approved a bill that its primary sponsor, Rep. Ralph Davenport, says sends a message that South Carolina is a pro-life state.

The bill extends the right to due process and the right to equal protection under the law to unborn children at the moment of fertilization.

"This creates a situation that at conception there is personhood," said Davenport, R-Boiling Springs. "It gives babies rights that they had not had before in South Carolina."

Davenport said that abortion is being used as a "tool of convenience."

"A woman has rights like anybody else," Davenport said. "When they involve themselves in certain situations and a human being is created, those rights end."

Kim Forde-Mazrui, an associate professor of law specializing in constitutional law at the University of Virginia, said the bill was lawful, but only to a limited degree.

He said current case law allows states to treat unborn fetuses as human beings as long as it doesn't interfere with a women's constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

"It would have no force and effect," Forde-Mazrui said. "Her constitutional right trumps state law."

Forde-Mazrui said the law would allow the state to prosecute someone for murder if they assaulted a pregnant woman and the fetus died.

House members approved an amendment that would allow a woman who was raped to receive a "morning-after pill" to prevent pregnancy. Davenport said he didn't attempt to kill the amendment because the bill would receive more votes with it attached.

The House passed the bill by a 95-18 vote.

"This sends a strong message to the Senate that this is a bill they are going to have to deal with," Davenport said.

Rep. Brenda Lee, D-Spartanburg, Davenport's longtime deskmate, voted against the bill.

"I've always voted against such bills," Lee said. "I'm adamant about that. Me being a woman, I should have the right to choose."

Lee said the bill sets the stage for South Carolina to outlaw abortions if Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that upheld a woman's right to have an abortion, is ever overturned.

Kate Landishaw of Lyman, the South Carolina coordinator for a national effort to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, said the bill is "once again men telling women how to live their lives."

Becci Robbins, communications director for the Lexington-based South Carolina Progressive Network, agreed.

"If this isn't government intrusion, I don't know what is," she said. "Ironically it's a Republican-led effort, and Republicans claim to be the party of less government."


http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050414/NEWS/504140347/1051/NEWS01

Posted by Editor at April 14, 2005 08:41 AM