South Carolina General Assembly
112th Session, 1997-1998

Bill 4303


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                    4303
Ratification Number:            375
Act Number:                     444
Type of Legislation:            Joint Resolution JR
Introducing Body:               House
Introduced Date:                19970604
Primary Sponsor:                Inabinett
All Sponsors:                   Inabinett, Govan, Jordan, Maddox,
                                Cromer, Kennedy, Whipper, Campsen,
                                Tripp, Jennings, J. Hines, Breeland,
                                Cobb-Hunter, Robinson, Pinckney, Neal,
                                Miller, Cotty, Baxley and Parks 
Drafted Document Number:        jic\6194ac.97
Companion Bill Number:          948
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   19980415
Date of Last Amendment:         19980407
Governor's Action:              U Signature of Governor not
                                required
Date of Governor's Action:      19980521
Subject:                        Marriage, provision making
                                marriage of blacks and whites unlawful
                                deleted; Domestic Relations,
                                Discrimination

History

Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

------  19980910  Act No. A444
------  19980521  Signature of Governor not required
------  19980521  Ratified R375
House   19980415  Concurred in Senate amendment,
                  enrolled for ratification
Senate  19980408  Read third time, returned to House
                  with amendment
Senate  19980407  Read second time, unanimous
                  consent for third reading on
                  Wednesday, 19980408
Senate  19980407  Committee amendment adopted
Senate  19980402  Committee report: Favorable with         11 SJ
                  amendment
Senate  19980211  Introduced, read first time,             11 SJ
                  referred to Committee
House   19980210  Read third time, sent to Senate
House   19980210  Request for debate withdrawn
                  by Representative                                Scott
House   19980205  Read second time
House   19980203  Debate adjourned
House   19980203  Request for debate by Representative             Harrison
                                                                   Young
                                                                   Woodrum
                                                                   Scott
                                                                   McGee
                                                                   Barrett
                                                                   Jordan
                                                                   Howard
                                                                   McMahand
                                                                   Lee
House   19980128  Committee report: Favorable              25 HJ
House   19970604  Introduced, read first time,             25 HJ
                  referred to Committee


View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A444, R375, H4303)

A JOINT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE III, SECTION 33 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1895, RELATING TO MARRIAGES OF WHITES AND NEGROES AND THE AGE OF CONSENT FOR AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION MAKING A MARRIAGE BETWEEN A WHITE AND NEGRO OR MULATTO UNLAWFUL.

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

Constitutional amendment proposed removing the ban on marriage between blacks and whites

SECTION 1. It is proposed that Article III, Section 33 of the Constitution of this State be amended to read:

"Section 33. No unmarried woman shall legally consent to sexual intercourse who shall not have attained the age of fourteen years."

Question to be placed on ballot

SECTION 2. The proposed amendment must be submitted to the qualified electors at the next general election for representatives. Ballots must be provided at the various voting precincts with the following words printed or written on the ballot:

"Shall Section 33, Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended by deleting the following sentence from the Constitution:

'The marriage of a white person with a Negro or mulatto, or person who shall have one-eighth or more of Negro blood, shall be unlawful and void'.

Yes []

No []

Those voting 'Yes', to remove the ban on interracial marriages, shall place a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'Yes'. Those voting 'No', to retain the ban on interracial marriages, shall place a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'No'."

Ratified the 21st day of May, 1998.