NO. 24

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

The Senate assembled at 11:00 A.M., the hour to which it stood adjourned, and was called to order by the ACTING PRESIDENT, Senator McLEOD.

The following remarks by Senator GARRETT were ordered printed in the Journal of February 9, 2023:

Members, I'll be brief. I know this has been a long debate for all of us. I'd like to thank Senator MASSEY. I'd like to thank all of the pro-life folks who have been working very hard. I'd like to thank Senator CORBIN and Senator RICE. I would sincerely like to thank Senator CASH, for negotiating and working in good faith in order to try to get something that we could get done.

I want to say this about abortion. All of the court cases have said abortion is different. The reason it is different is because it involves human life. The right to life is from God and is an unalienable right. The right to life is the first and most fundamental of all rights, and other rights are simply secondary to the right to life. Governments, belief that it can take life after given the human due process of law has been debated for time immemorial. Grant of life to human beings by God cannot be ungranted by man or by man's government. This Bill, though disappointing, appears to be the best the Senate can do today. The Bill limits execution of babies to about 3,000 babies per year. Right now, after our Supreme Court ruling, we are not saving any babies. Our home, the beautiful State of South Carolina has become an abortionist's haven. A destination for abortion. If we do nothing, we will have 12,000 abortions before the end of this year at the current time because we have people coming from other states. We have to do something.

Another problem that we have -- though, innocent babies' lives have and will be ended -- they have not been and will not be granted the same due process of law that even a guilty or confessed criminal who gets the death penalty receives. They are allowed due process, yet this innocent baby in the womb is never given due process. The unborn child or children as a class have not been given legal status as necessary and indispensable parties in the dispute of their own lives.

Until we in South Carolina give them that right, at least their right to be heard, to give them due process, then we are not following the law. We are not following our own fundamental concepts in my estimation. Our South Carolina system of justice demands that children receive better. There are an estimated 3,000 aborted children per year, that this Bill will allow to die. They are all being denied their fundamental due process. It's repulsive to think our government once allowed slavery of our fellow human beings. I find it equally repulsive to think that our government allows for murder of innocent unborn children. Just as slavery was finally ended by the abolitionists -- they entirely desired to make sure their fellow human beings were treated equally. This fight for life is not over. In South Carolina it will never be over. I promise you that it will not be over until every South Carolina baby is free from these abortionists' killing grasp.

At 11:05 A.M., on motion of Senator McELVEEN, the Senate adjourned to meet next Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at 12:00 P.M.

This web page was last updated on Friday, February 17, 2023 at 12:17 P.M.