Wow! The year has just begun and I feel as though several months have passed. I ask that you pray diligently that our elected leaders would have wisdom and discernment in the decisions they make. I would also ask that you continue to pray for those of us who minister to and work with our legislators. We’ve targeted more than 20 bills to track, and new legislation is introduced every day. Please consider the following issues as you pray about our culture and how we can present a bold witness in the workplace and in the public square.
Joe MackEducation: We are monitoring three education bills. Two of them make Life Scholarships and interscholastic activities available to home-school students. The third bill would allow funding to follow a student transferring from a failing public school to a charter school.
Gambling: Five bills would allow widespread gambling expansion in our state. One bill would prohibit cruises to nowhere. We are concerned about the Catawba Tribe as they threaten to work with Rep. Jim Clyburn to sidestep state law and the state compact they signed, giving up their gambling privileges under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Life issues: Several bills are carried over this year. One requires an ultrasound before an abortion to determine the baby’s accurate age, one requires that babies who survive an abortion be cared for by a physician other than the abortionist, and one states that rights to due process and equal protection begin at fertilization. While one bill in this category prohibits human cloning, another one would allow embryonic stem cell research.
Marriage: We would like to see common-law marriage abolished this year, but we’d like to kill a bill that would allow civil unions. One other bill essentially takes adultery off the table as a reason for filing for divorce. This bill also defines a “short-term” marriage and limits alimony in such an instance.
Sexual issues: One bill will correct an oversight in a previous bill. The new bill would remove mistake of age as a defense in a criminal sexual assault case. Another bill would place probationary offenders on a GPS monitoring system. One other bill seeks to limit the area where a sexual offender may live.
We are also seeking to regulate or limit the payday loan industry in our state. Since Georgia and North Carolina outlawed these businesses, the number of outlets in South Carolina has grown by leaps and bounds.
Please pray diligently about these issues. Pray for the lawmakers charged with crafting bills that are positive for children and families. Pray that God will influence thoughts and actions in the General Assembly.