NO. 9

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 SCOTT. (This is a Statewide Session day established under the provisions of Senate Rule 1B. Members not having scheduled committee or subcommittee meetings may be in their home districts without effect on their session attendance record.)

The following co-sponsors were added to the respective Bills:
S. 38 (Word version)     Sen. Verdin
S. 147 (Word version)     Sen. Turner

The following were introduced:

S. 483 (Word version) -- Senator Stephens: A SENATE RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS PROFOUND SORROW UPON THE PASSING OF MR. MORRIS ELMORE AND TO EXTEND THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.
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The Senate Resolution was adopted.

S. 484 (Word version) -- Senator Allen: A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 24-13-150(A), 24-13-210(B), AND 24-13-230(B), CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, ALL RELATING TO THE EARLY RELEASE, DISCHARGE, COMMUNITY SUPERVISION, FORFEITURE OF CREDITS, CREDITS FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR, AND REDUCTION IN A SENTENCE FOR CERTAIN INMATES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A REDUCTION IN THE SENTENCE OF AN INMATE CONVICTED OF CERTAIN "NO PAROLE OFFENSES" UPON SATISFYING CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
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Read the first time and referred to the Committee on Corrections and Penology.

S. 485 (Word version) -- Senator Shealy: A BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 37, TITLE 44 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE CARE OF THE NEWLY BORN, BY ADDING SECTION 44-37-75, TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO REGULATE AND LICENSE MILK BANKS THAT COLLECT, DONATE, PROCESS, SELL, OR DISTRIBUTE PASTEURIZED DONOR HUMAN MILK AND HUMAN MILK PRODUCTS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 38-71-140, RELATING TO NEWBORN HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS, TO REQUIRE COVERAGE OF PASTEURIZED DONOR HUMAN MILK AND HUMAN MILK PRODUCTS FOR CERTAIN NEWBORN CHILDREN.
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Read the first time and referred to the Committee on Medical Affairs.

S. 486 (Word version) -- Senator Grooms: A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME HIGHWAY 17-A AT ITS CROSSING OF THE CSX MAIN LINE IN MONCKS CORNER "STEVE C. DAVIS VIADUCT" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS AT THIS LOCATION CONTAINING THE DESIGNATION.
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The Concurrent Resolution was introduced and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

Senator VERDIN from the Committee on Medical Affairs submitted a favorable with amendment report on:

S. 1 (Word version) -- Senators Grooms, Verdin, Kimbrell, Garrett, Martin, Shealy, Climer, Corbin, Cromer, Rice, Adams, Hembree, Gambrell and Loftis: A BILL TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA FETAL HEARTBEAT AND PROTECTION FROM ABORTION ACT"; TO AMEND CHAPTER 41, TITLE 44 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO ABORTIONS, BY ADDING ARTICLE 6, TO REQUIRE TESTING FOR A DETECTABLE FETAL HEARTBEAT BEFORE AN ABORTION IS PERFORMED ON A PREGNANT WOMAN, TO PROHIBIT THE PERFORMANCE OF AN ABORTION IF A FETAL HEARTBEAT IS DETECTED, TO PROVIDE MEDICAL EMERGENCY EXCEPTIONS, TO REQUIRE CERTAIN DOCUMENTATION AND RECORDKEEPING BY PHYSICIANS PERFORMING ABORTIONS, TO CREATE A CIVIL ACTION FOR A PREGNANT WOMAN UPON WHOM AN ABORTION IS PERFORMED, TO CREATE CRIMINAL PENALTIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES; TO AMEND SECTION 44-41-460(A) OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE REQUIRED REPORTING OF ABORTION DATA TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, TO ADD REPORTING OF FETAL HEARTBEAT TESTING AND PATIENT MEDICAL CONDITION DATA; AND TO AMEND SECTION 44-41-330(A)(1) OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO A PREGNANT WOMAN'S RIGHT TO KNOW CERTAIN INFORMATION, TO REQUIRE NOTIFICATION OF THE DETECTION OF A FETAL HEARTBEAT.

Ordered for consideration tomorrow.

The following remarks by Senator PEELER, were ordered printed in the Journal of January 12, 2021:

Thank you Senator JACKSON, Senator MASSEY, Senator HUTTO, and my fellow South Carolina State Senators, thank you.

It is a great honor to have the opportunity to lead this Body for the next four years. I do not take your faith in me lightly -- and I hope I have proved that to you.

The last two years were challenging and unpredictable. It is not what I imagined when you first elected me PRESIDENT, but I took on the challenge -- because difficult situations are when we learn the most as leaders. We need direction when times are tough.

These next four years will look different than the last. For starters, we have some new faces I would like to welcome. I want every one of you to know that I do not take your presence here today for granted. We are here, in the middle of a pandemic, to uphold our oath of office and to serve the great people of South Carolina.

Last year, we were forced to abruptly stop session due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant many of our legislative priorities were paused in order to prioritize emergency funding and keep our elections safe and secure. We have a duty to our constituents to show up to work because we have a lot to accomplish this year.

This session will be unlike any other. You chose me to be your leader and I look forward to working with each of you to make sure this year is healthy and successful. I invite and encourage spirited debate, but I want to reintroduce to you my gavel. I have named this gavel "Senatorial Courtesy." Let's get to work!

The following remarks by Senator GARRETT were ordered printed in the Journal of January 12, 2021:

Mr. PRESIDENT, members of the Senate, in my family, we look to God for guidance, love and understanding. We stand upon the shoulders of our veterans of South Carolina. We have fought for our rights to serve in this Civil Government, at the great South Carolina Senate. I follow in this office the great Senators who have occupied this office before me: Senator Floyd Nicholson, Senator John Drummond, who I see looking down on me here; Senator Francis Nicholson, Senator James Bradford, Sr., and my law partner, Senator G. P. Callison, Sr. I intend to represent all the people in my district. There is no red district. There is no blue district. There is no independent district. I represent the great and hardworking families who made South Carolina what it is today. All our constituents usually ask of us the simple things. They ask for the right to let them live free lives; protect the right of the unborn; have religious freedoms; have a good education for themselves and their children; and jobs for those who want jobs. My goal of the Senate is to make a difference and to help our citizens in pursuing the best quality of life possible. Thank you very much.

The following remarks by Senator GUSTAFSON were ordered printed in the Journal of January 12, 2021:

Good afternoon. I am the new Senator from Kershaw County, PENRY GUSTAFSON. My husband is working today, and could not be here. I do have a very special friend, and colleague, someone who helped me get to where I am, standing here, and that is Mrs. Sissy Griffin Ballou. Thank you very much for being here. The rest of my family is either in school or working.

I ran for office to provide fresh representation for my area, District 27, which includes almost all of Chesterfield County, most of Kershaw County and a good third of the bottom of Lancaster County. I have seen areas that can be energized, recognized, built up, expanded, lifted up, helped, and I am humbled to be in the position where I feel like I can help our district do that and help make our State a better place to live, work, and be good citizens. I am a wife and a mother of three, and all of them are college age. I am also a former business owner. I have worked as a caseworker connecting adults with special needs with Medicaid services. I have been in sales, but one thing I have done for 35 years is serving as a community advocate. I have worked across many populations of this great State to help them, to connect people with services, and to solve problems. That is what I want to do. I am looking forward to working with each one of you -- each one of my colleagues. I will work with respect, tenacity, decency, and persistence. I cannot tell you what an honor it is for me to be standing here. I did not seek politics. It kind of sought me out. And I really do feel that this is a moment in our lives that is pivotal. A lot of things are happening in our country. A lot of things are happening in our State and right here in Columbia, South Carolina. We must be good leaders. We must do it respectfully. We must really work hard together, and that is my plea as a brand new Senator, that is my plea to each one of you my new colleagues. The State and our citizens are looking to us to properly lead. They are looking to us to be decent people, and to find solutions to problems. Not create them -- not to exasperate them. So that wasn't very brief but I will be gone now. Thank you so much, to everyone here, thank you to the fine citizens of District 27 who elected me. This is an honor, a privilege, one that I do not take lightly at all, and thank each one of you for supporting me and being so welcoming. I hope to be the same for you for years to come. Thank you very much.

At 11: 06 A.M., on motion of Senator SHEALY, the Senate adjourned to meet tomorrow at 12:00 Noon.

This web page was last updated on Monday, January 25, 2021 at 12:04 P.M.