Week 6 Update
Sunday, February 19, 2023
Overview of the Week:
Preserving our rights and protecting South Carolinians were the common themes among the major legislation of Week 6. On Tuesday a Constitutional Carry bill that further strengthens our Second Amendment rights and increases enforcement against illegal gun ownership passed in Committee and will head to the House floor next week. On Wednesday, the Human Life Protection Act passed the full House and was sent over to the Senate for their consideration.
Human Life Protection Act:
As a fierce defender of life, I voted this week for the "Human Life Protection Act." The bill overwhelmingly passed the House by a vote of 77-31 with only 2 Republicans and 29 Democrats voting “no.” H.3774 will allow a licensed physician to perform an abortion only in cases where a pregnancy results from incidents of rape or incest, when a fatal fetal anomaly is present, or when the life of the mother is at risk. It also protects contraception, in vitro fertilization [IVF], and other assistive reproduction technologies. In addition, biological fathers will be responsible for paying 50 percent of the birth mother's pregnancy expenses from the time of conception as well as child support to be calculated from the date of conception. This bill is the most advanced pro-life legislation in our state’s history.
Near the end of the 7 hour long debate (which I hear was much longer last year), I stood up and spoke to my colleagues from the podium (a.k.a. "The Well"). Having served as a volunteer for the Speakers Bureau of the Crisis Pregnancy Center for two years, I heard first-hand from many women facing an unwanted pregnancy. They could have gone to Planned Parenthood just down the street, but came for help and support instead. It was abundantly clear that while many women facing an unexpected pregnancy feel trapped and scared, they often are lead to believe that abortion is the best or sometimes only answer. By providing real support, caring and counseling without judgement throughout her pregnancy and early childcare time period, we can demonstrate what it really means to be "pro-life." Fighting over who is right or wrong about pro-life or pro-choice means precious time, energy and resources are wasted that could be redirected to providing women the support and resources they need. I pledged to work hard to change the narrative and provide the support to empower women to carry their precious baby to term, and then have a choice to raise the child or give it to a loving family for adoption. I challenged my fellow House Members and also others such as corporations to join me in working hard to focus our efforts to support the mother and pre-born child for the best possible outcome for both. If you would like to help with this effort, please email me at KathyLanding@SCHouse.gov.
Strengthening our Second Amendment Rights:
SC is one step closer to strengthening our Second Amendment right and ensuring anyone who can lawfully own a firearm has the right to carry it openly or concealed with limited restrictions. The House Judiciary Committee worked tirelessly to craft this very strong piece of legislation and I look forward to supporting this bill when it is debated next week on the House floor. My Republican colleagues and I are committed to ensuring SC is a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary state. For those who have already emailed me that I must be crazy to think this is the right answer, know this - H. 3594 provides much stronger enforcement against ILLEGAL gun ownership. The Second Amendment of the US Constitution is the only permission slip needed for the right to bear arms for law-abiding citizens.
Giving Parents More Choice in Education:
It is imperative that we give flexibility to parents to make the best choice for their child's education. SC was recently hindered from doing just that by a 100+ year old SC Constitutional amendment referred to as the Blaine Amendment. The Blaine Amendment, originally proposed to the U.S. Constitution in 1875, would have prohibited the distribution of any government funds to “sectarian” schools. In short, this provision reflected the ugly marriage of two prejudices at the time: religious bigotry against immigrant Catholics then coming to America’s shores and racial prejudice against newly freed slaves whose lives, living conditions, and educational opportunities were being improved by religious missionary organizations. While Blaine’s amendment failed to pass Congress, 38 states soon passed their own similar constitutional amendments.
The far-reaching implications of SC’s Blaine Amendment were recently realized when Governor McMaster was prevented from directing federal COVID-19 aid to many private and religious schools. Students of these schools struggled and suffered as a result of the pandemic just as those in the public education system; however, our state was inhibited from providing the resources needed to support the best education possible. As with any effort to amend the State Constitution, the General Assembly must pass a resolution that puts this question on a statewide ballot for voters to decide in the next General Election. Accordingly, the House Judiciary Committee has vetted this question and next week the full House will vote to put this question on the 2024 ballot. I fully support this effort and I am looking forward to the upcoming debate. Here is the resolution: H. 3591.
CCRP Celebrates and Honors Black History Month:
On Thursday, the Charleston County Republican Party held its 5th Annual Black History Month Gala. The event featured Senator Tim Scott as Keynote Speaker, who kicked off his nationwide "Faith in America" Listening tour. Congratulations to the 9 North Star Honorees who received this award for their tremendous contributions to our community! Joe and I had to attend two events but were happy to co-sponsor a table. For more details, click here.
Finally, thank you to everyone who has kept our colleague and friend Representative Tom Hartnett, Jr. in your thoughts and prayers. I've been sharing updates from his wife Alison to the House regularly and delivering the weekly mail following his surgery. Joe and I were so happy to see Tom at the SEWE Preview event looking stronger and ready to go back to work next week.