H.3213 - Right to Life Act of SC

- The RTL Act of SC is a bill to recognize the legal 'Personhood' of all pre-birth human beings, at fertilization.

- This bill would ban all legalized child-murder-by-abortion, because the SC State Constitution, in Art. I., Sec. 3., already protects legal 'persons' from being deprived of life without due process of law, and the RTL Act of SC would inarguably place all pre-birth human beings in the same protected status.

- H.3213 passed the South Carolina House of Representatives on April 14, 2005 (albeit with a fatal flaw rape exception amendment that needs to be removed, or the bill killed).

- H.3213 has sat in a South Carolina Senate Judiciary Subcommittee since April 26, 2005, for now almost one full year !!! - this subcommittee, chaired by Senator Jim Ritchie (R) is comprised of three Republicans and one Democrat - none of the three Republicans (Senators Jim Ritchie, Randy Scott, or Luke Rankin) are co-sponsors of the Senate companion bill (S.111) !

- Furthermore, according to the rules of the SC Senate, the Republican chairman of the full Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Glenn McConnell (R), is also permitted to cast a vote on this bill. Senator McConnell is not a co-sponsor of S.111 either.

- There are approximately 50 days remaining in the 2005-2006 SC Legislative Session. If the Right to Life Act of SC does not pass by the first week in June, then the bill would be killed for this session, and would have to start over from the beginning in January 2007.

- See the text and history of the bill below, and online at:
www.scstatehouse.net/sess116_2005-2006/bills/3213.htm

- For history and updates of H.3213 (and unamended Senate companion bill S.111),
go to: www.RighttoLifeActofSC.net and www.ChristianLifeandLiberty.net (click on 'RTL ACT of SC' button)

- For contact information of Senators McConnell, Ritchie, Scott, and Rankin, go to:
www.scstatehouse.net (click on Addresses for Senators) or go to:
Right to Life Act of SC - mail / fax State Senators lobbying memo Feb. 16, 2006

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South Carolina General Assembly
116th Session, 2005-2006

H. 3213
STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Davenport, Vaughn, Toole, Tripp, Vick, Simrill, Bingham, J.R. Smith, Rice, Talley, G. Brown, Barfield, Owens, M.A. Pitts, G.R. Smith, Hamilton, White, Clark, Walker, Pinson, Loftis, Leach, McGee, W.D. Smith, Viers, Cato, Perry, Delleney, Altman, Cooper, Haskins, Huggins, Littlejohn, Hiott, Mahaffey, Wilkins, Merrill, D.C. Smith, Herbkersman, Bailey, Ceips, J. Brown, G.M. Smith, Weeks, Coates, F.N. Smith, E.H. Pitts, Thompson, Young, Duncan, Hagood and Chellis

Companion/Similar bill(s): 111

Introduced in the House on January 11, 2005
Introduced in the Senate on April 18, 2005
Last Amended on April 13, 2005
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Right to Life Act

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date Body Action Description with journal page number
-----------------------------------------------------------------
12/22/2004 House Prefiled
12/22/2004 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary
1/11/2005 House Introduced and read first time HJ-133
1/11/2005 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-133
4/6/2005 House Committee report: Favorable Judiciary HJ-37
4/12/2005 House Requests for debate-Rep(s). Kennedy, JE Smith, Breeland, Miller, Hosey, Jennings, and Mack HJ-30
4/13/2005 House Requests for debate-Rep(s). Rice, Littlejohn, Skelton, Delleney, Davenport, and Talley 4/13/2005 House Amended HJ-49
4/13/2005 House Read second time HJ-55
4/13/2005 House Roll call Yeas-95 Nays-18 HJ-55
4/14/2005 House Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-39
4/14/2005 House Roll call Yeas-91 Nays-10 HJ-41
4/18/2005 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-19
4/18/2005 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-19
4/26/2005 Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Ritchie (ch), Rankin, Lourie, Scott

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/22/2004
4/6/2005
4/7/2005
4/13/2005

AMENDED
April 13, 2005

A BILL

TO AMEND TITLE 1, CHAPTER 1, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT, BY ADDING ARTICLE 5, SO AS TO ENACT THE "RIGHT TO LIFE ACT OF SOUTH CAROLINA" WHICH ESTABLISHES THAT THE RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS AND THE RIGHT TO EQUAL PROTECTION VEST AT FERTILIZATION.

Amend Title To Conform

Whereas, the General Assembly, under Article III, Section 1A of the Constitution of the State of South Carolina, 1895, is empowered to assemble to make new laws, as the common good may require; and

Whereas, Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of South Carolina, 1895, guarantees that no person may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law or denied the equal protection of the laws; and

Whereas, the General Assembly in the exercise of its constitutional powers and in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under the law finds it necessary and proper to ensure that the rights of its citizens extend to each newly born and preborn human person. Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Title 1, Chapter 1 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Article 5
Right to Life

Section 1-1-310. This article may be cited as the 'Right to Life Act of South Carolina'.

Section 1-1-320. The right to due process, whereby no person may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, and the right to equal protection of the laws, both of which rights are guaranteed by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of this State, vest at fertilization."

SECTION 2. The provisions of this act or any other provision of law do not prohibit the prescription of a morning after pill to a rape victim.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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www.scstatehouse.net/sess116_2005-2006/bills/3213.htm
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Senators, please pass the Right to Life Act of SC, with no "exceptions", now !!!

Steve Lefemine, pro-life missionary
dir., Columbia Christians for Life
Columbia, South Carolina
www.RighttoLifeActofSC.net
www.ChristianLifeandLiberty.net (click on 'RTL ACT of SC' button)
April 11, 2006