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
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time, 11 SJ referred to Committee House 19980210 Read third time, sent to Senate House 19980210 Request for debate withdrawn by Representative Scott House 19980205 Read second time House 19980203 Debate adjourned House 19980203 Request for debate by Representative Harrison Young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 CommitteeView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
(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'.
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.