By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | In the waning weeks of the legislative session, the House — which has already passed its versions of the state budget and education reform — has waded into abortion politics.
There are no parliamentary maneuvers in the House, such as a filibuster or delaying the vote, that will prevent a vote, according to House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Richland.
“It is definitely on the path to destroy the woman’s right to choose in the House,” he told Statehouse Report.
This week, the House Judiciary Committee gave a 15-7 favorable report to H. 3020, which would outlaw abortions except in a few instances for fetuses where a heartbeat can be detected. Fetal heartbeats can be detected in four to six weeks following conception, according to medical websites. House Republican leaders Speaker Jay Lucas, Majority Leader Gary Simrill and Speaker Pro Tempore Tommy Pope are cosponsors of the bill. None of the three could be reached for comment.
Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign a similar bill there, and S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has already expressed support for a similar bill.
According to a state Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office report, the bill would permit the state’s attorney general to bring a civil action under certain circumstances and would create a new civil cause of action for certain women who have an abortion. There is no anticipated fiscal impact on the state’s general fund or state agencies.
The bill joins a slew of bills seeking second reading in the House, and is currently on the uncontested calendar for the House (likely to change by Tuesday’s session).
“Any hope in stopping or pausing the bill is in the Senate,” Rutherford said.
It’s a familiar battle for Senate Democrat, who are fresh from a 2018 abortion fight, where Orangeburg Sen. Brad Hutto offered a poison-pill amendment and Charleston Sen. Marlon Kimpson filibustered to bill. The Senate is still in the throes of writing its version of the budget and redrafting the massive education overhaul bill. Senate Education Chair Greg Hembree, R-Horry, said the fetal heartbeat bill may struggle to make a floor vote prior to recess.
“It would take an exceptional commitment to get that bill to the Senate floor before the end of the year,” he said. But, he added, if it did, it could impede the education reform package. “Absolutely it has potential to impact education reform. You could end the session on that topic and you will have missed an opportunity to do something big and meaningful.”
In other news:
Crossover is April 11. After April 11, a supermajority is needed to take up bills approved by the other chamber. It’s the date that proclaims contentious bills to be essentially dead if they haven’t passed one chamber by then — though this year it is more symbolic since this is only the first of a two-year session. Bills that haven’t received a vote by end of session will be carried over to January. All the same, a flurry of legislative activity is expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
Santee Cooper sale passes House. H. 4287 that authorizes a nine-member legislative committee to evaluate bids for the purchase, partial purchase or management of state-owned utility Santee Cooper has passed the House. The measure now goes to the Senate, which was weighing its own resolution that would direct the evaluation of bids through the Department of Administration. The Senate Finance Committee added the measure as a proviso into its version of the state appropriations bill. (See Andy Brack’s commentary this week to learn more.) While visiting Summerville on Wednesday, Gov. Henry McMaster was asked about his stance on Santee Cooper. According to a tweet from The Post and Courier Caitlin Byrd, McMaster responded: “I think the sale of Santee Cooper is inevitable.”
House OKs renaming Charleston airport. The House has passed a resolution that would rename the Charleston International Airport in honor of former Democratic governor and U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings. Hollings served as governor from 1959 to 1963, and as a U.S. senator from 1966 to 2005. If the Senate passes the resolution and it is signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster, the Charleston airport would be named the “Ernest F. ‘Fritz’ Hollings Charleston International Airport.” S.C. Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, D-Charleston, introduced the bill and said Hollings deserves the honor for his “significant” contribution to transportation in the state. But S.C. Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Goose Creek, who serves as CEO of the airport authority, has already voiced opposition to the resolution.
Weekly update on Palmetto Priorities
Throughout the legislative session, we’ll provide you relevant updates related to our list of Palmetto Priorities, which are 10 big policy areas where major progress is needed for South Carolina to escape the bottom of lots of lists. Over the last week:
EDUCATION, PART 1: Education chair says education reform not ‘stalled.’ A recent article in The Post and Courier called education reform in the Senate “stalled,” but Senate Education Chairman Greg Hembree disagreed. He said he’s “confident” he will get it out of subcommittee after next week’s review of the sixth and final component of the bill. He said he’s “hopeful” to get it out of full committee to the floor, but said there is the potential for it be hung up in full committee by a few members. “I’m just concerned we lose momentum,” Hembree told Statehouse Report. Last week, Lucas, who championed the education reform package in the House, worried about the Senate weakening the House’s version. Read more here.
EDUCATION, PART II: School consolidation bill advances. S. 203 paves a path for more school district consolidation. The bill needs a third and final vote in the Senate before heading to the House. Hembree said Friday that the bill is one to watch for next week.
EDUCATION/JOBS: Education-to-work database hub advances. A proposed data hub that looks at student’s outcomes in the workforce is heading to the House floor after gaining a favorable report from the body’s Education and Public Works committee this week. H. 3757 would create a committee that would create and manage the data hub.
EDUCATION/JOBS/HEALTH CARE: Grants for internet program approved by House. H. 3780 has passed the House and now heads to the Senate. The bill aims to provide state grants to internet providers bringing service to underserved areas of the state. The bill’s sponsor, S.C. Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson, previously billed it as a way to support education in state. Recent coverage this week focused on the bill’s support of telehealth initiatives. Read more.
CORRECTIONS: Sentencing reform on floor in House. The sentencing reform bill, H. 3322, received a favorable report more than a week ago, and is expected to be debated next week. According to a Jan. 8 summary of the bill, the bill amends a significant number of criminal law statutes related to supervision of offenders, restitution, revocations, and parole proceedings; minimum sentences and penalty provisions; and drug courts.
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Looking ahead
Click below for other items coming up in the Statehouse:
- House calendar
- Senate calendar
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