South Carolina Baptists are uniquely positioned to have more influence in government affairs than any other group. We are the largest body of Christians in our state. South Carolina has a presence in Washington. Please do not stop reading because you think this will be a political dissertation. This is about encouraging one another, building up society rather than allowing others to tear it down. We must hold dear our beliefs and convictions. We must tell our elected officials how we feel about these values.
Joe MackOne of our core values is the sanctity of life. We should speak up for the little ones who don’t have a voice. This year our legislature had the opportunity to pass a Born Alive Infants bill. This bill says that if an infant is born alive, even after surviving an abortion, he is considered a person. As Christians, we take for granted that anyone would consider a born baby to be a person. Others do not consider it as such. Some believe that an infant who survives an abortion should be left to die. This bill, H3342, moved quickly through the House but was significantly amended in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill now goes to a Conference Committee comprised of Senators Hutto, Knotts and Cleary, and House members Delleney, Bedingfield and Vick. We urgently need to call the Senate conferees before they return to Columbia on June 16 and urge them to accept the House version of the bill.
The 24-hour waiting period before having an abortion has been put on the back burner until next year. Bill 3245 originated in the House and was sent to the Senate. The Senate referred the bill to the Medical Affairs Committee. The committee reported the bill out to the full body favorably without any amendments. Attempts to move the legislation ahead on the calendar failed. The bill will be awaiting the Senate when they return in January.
The other disappointment we had this year surrounds payday loans. Approximately a dozen states have banned payday lending – Georgia and North Carolina are two of them. At one point, a Senate Banking and Insurance subcommittee approved a version of the bill that tied loans to personal income and required a reasonable waiting period between loans. The full committee amended the bill and approved the House version with other small changes. Provisions include the creation of a statewide database to ensure that there is only one outstanding loan per person at any given time. The bill caps a loan at $550 – an increase from $300.
Legislatively speaking, this has been one of the most disappointing years in memory. Budget woes created furloughs and early adjournment for the House and the Senate. Even though little progress was made in the Senate, we must press on toward the goal of winning the race in the culture war. We must pray for them and their families to stay strong and healthy. We must also contact them to tell them we are praying for them. Pray that our elected leaders will gain the wisdom that can only come from God. Encourage them, but stand firm in the core values of our faith. Pray that God will soften hardened hearts – ours and theirs.