Constitutional Laws Subcommittee, SC House Judiciary Committee
Right to Life Act of SC "Personhood" Bill - H.3526
Thursday, February 4, 2010, 9:00 AM: Room 511, Blatt Building, State House complex, Columbia, SC
Prepared Remarks by Steve Lefemine, dir. Columbia Christians for Life
Good morning Mr. Chairman, Rep. Delleney, and members of the Constitutional Laws Subcommittee, Rep’s. Harrison, McLeod, Garry Smith, and James Smith. Let heaven and earth record what transpires here today. As about 7,000 judicially innocent pre-birth humans are exterminated by surgical “abortion” in this state each year, principally in three stand-alone “abortion” centers, in Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston, the outcome of this hearing is literally a matter of life and death for 1000’s of human beings, whose fate, whether they live or die, is affected by your decisions, actions, and votes or lack thereof, today.
Mr. Chairman, we heard in the internet presentation of the Roe v. Wade oral argument excerpts that the case turned on whether or not the “fetus” a.k.a. pre-birth human being, is accorded the constitutional status of a legal “person” or not. H.3526, the Right to Life Act of SC, or SC Personhood bill, establishes that rights guaranteed by Article I, Section 3 of the South Carolina State Constitution, that no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws, vest at fertilization for each born and preborn person. I urge, plead, and ask you, in Christ’s Name, to pass this bill today.
As you know, the 2005 SC Attorney General opinion stated, “It is our opinion that … the Right to Life Act – is constitutional on its face.” And also, that “the statute could not be applied in the context of abortion to deny the federal constitutional right of privacy.” [sic] The opinion further stated, “Indeed, in the non-abortion setting, the United States Supreme Court has expressly recognized that such a determination concerning if and when a fetus is considered a “person” is a “traditional state prerogative …”.“ While I disagree that SCOTUS decisions are the supreme law of the land, as per Art. VI. of the U.S. Constitution, and while I believe fundamentally that God’s Law is Higher than Man’s Law, and while I believe that the Declaration of Independence, and the 5th, 14th, 9th and 10th Amendments provide sufficient legal basis for the Sovereign State of South Carolina to uphold the Creator-endowed unalienable right to life, and outlaw child-murder-by-“abortion”; I perceive that the chairman shares neither my Biblical view, nor my Constitutionalist / originalist philosophy of law. Nevertheless, even though the chairman views Roe as entitled to federal supremacy status, the SC Attorney General opinion still provides the chairman with at least three reasons to pass H.3526 today: 1) The Right to Life Act of SC is constitutional on its face, and you expressed on April 5, 2005 when presenting this bill to the full Judiciary Comm., that the Attorney General was willing to defend this statute. The Attorney General and the chairman of the Judiciary Comm., Rep. Harrison, both stated the bill is constitutional on February 14, 2008, at the last ConLaws Subcomm. public hearing for this bill; 2) If Roe is overturned, the SC Personhood Bill could be used to outlaw abortion in South Carolina, as you also expressed on April 5, 2005 in the Judiciary Committee meeting. Placing this law on the books is vital to establishing South Carolina’s position that we protect ALL innocent human life; and 3) An immediate benefit of passing H.3526 is that all non-abortion civil cases would be afforded fetal protection from the moment of fertilization, instead of the much later gestational age of viability. There is ample reason and benefit Mr. Chairman, to pass H.3526 today, and not wait until next year, or some later date.
Former President Ronald Reagan issued a Personhood Proclamation over 22 years ago, on January 14, 1988 – “I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, … do hereby proclaim and declare the unalienable personhood of every American, from the moment of conception until natural death.” In 2009, 15 States pursued Personhood legislation to END “Abortion”: four pursued bills, and 11 pursued state constitutional amendments. In Feb. 2009, a Personhood bill passed the ND House, and a Personhood Amendment passed the MT Senate. In 2010, Iowa is also pursuing a Personhood Amendment. Mississippi is nine days away from their deadline to collect almost 90,000 signatures to place a Personhood Amendment on the ballot. The Miss. Lt. Gov. is helping to lead the effort. Indeed, the hour is late, and the death toll in South Carolina is well over 300,000 children murdered by surgical abortion alone since 1973. Their shed innocent blood cries out to God from the ground for Justice, and if SC does not bring the murderers to justice, then God Himself will become the Avenger of Blood. I believe that Divine Judgment has already begun. George Mason said, “Providence punishes national sins, by national calamities.” “Abortion” is a national sin, 9-11 was a national calamity. More and greater Divine Judgment is coming upon South Carolina and America unless we repent of killing children in the wombs of their mothers. In Psalm 106, God’s Word says that for the sin of child-sacrifice, God “gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.” Our only hope for relief from the grave economic, health, and national security woes of our land and the sense of encroaching tyranny many Americans feel, is Repentance and turning back to God, which will include outlawing the evil practice of child-sacrifice-by”abortion”. Mr. Chairman and subcommittee members, please pass H.3526 TODAY. Thank you.
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