Gave this speech last week at SC House. Gives a glimmer of hope that we have seeds of change in politics.
C&P
Today was quite the day in the SC House of Representatives. I apologize for not answering questions on how I would vote as I honestly did not know - no one did - what the bill ultimately would be. Further, due to complicated procedure, I could not speak on the bill once I knew what it was as we only had 10 minutes to do so at the end.
However, here is my written speech and my votes:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
What a two weeks this has been.
Before I begin my speech, I want to thank this body & staff for the love I experienced surrounding the death of my father last week. My dad was a dishwasher & food prepper at Pizza Inn my whole life. I emptied his apartment on Friday. I found this Pizza Inn shirt that’s over 2 decades old. In memory of him, I am wearing his shirt this week. Only in America can the son of a dishwasher receive condolences from people such as yourself & the Governor. We take for granted the mobility of classes and the myriad of opportunities available to each of us. This son of a dishwasher tries not to. And to debate in this beautiful chamber is one such opportunity that I’m thankful for.
For those who don't know, during the past two weeks, I also went viral because I told the following story: On July 7, just 2 weeks after our heartbeat bill went into effect, a doctor informed me that since fetal heartbeat is now law, a 19 year old woman entered the ER because her water broke at 15 weeks. The fetus was unviable but had a heartbeat. Standard medical procedure would be to remove the fetus. However, attorneys told the doctors they could not because a heartbeat was present. The option at that point was to keep the 19 year old in the hospital until the baby’s heartbeat stopped or discharge her. The hospital discharged her. That practically meant the 19 year old likely would pass the baby in a toilet and have to deal with the trauma herself. It also meant there’s a greater than 50% chance the 19 year old would lose her uterus and a 10% chance she would develop sepsis and die herself. Regardless of whether this was an overly cautious reading, it happened & it’s a stark example of the thoroughness needed in what we do.
As hundreds of people correctly pointed out, I am not a medical expert nor am I an expert on the other thousands of issues we face. I certainly did not intend for the 19 yo situation to be the slightest possibility. I don't think my colleagues did either. I believe it's a case of understandably conservative reading of the new law, an area that needs clarification, and/or the chilling effect.
Why this went viral & the response from the extreme left, though, show more about the current state of our society than anything.
In the wake of my dad dying & going viral at the same time, I’d like to show a sampling of the hundreds of phone calls & thousands of messages I’ve received:
This was my phone for a day - a call, text, post every few seconds (pic 1).
He is burning in hell, just like you will (pic 2)
I spit on your dad’s grave (pic 3)He raised a real pos (pic 4)
My 3 month old daughter & wife weren’t spared:
I hope this happens to your wife & daughter ten fold (pic 5)
I bet Olivia will grow up & see what a monster you are (pic 6)
I just wrote an algorithm that will scan for all Olivia Collins in the US in 2039 & distribute this video to each of them (pic 7)
I hope this happens to a woman you love (pic 8 )
The far left wasn’t the only one with extreme viewpoints. We all know the far right is just as unwavering in theirs:
Parenthood (pic 9) - This is a text from the director of SC Personhood. “If you vote in favor of killing innocent babies, you will prove yourself unfit to govern & you will create a movement to end your political career. Respectfully in Christ.” Nothing in this text is Christ like. At least in my faith. In fact, in my opinion, this is why so many are unchurched & Dr. Clark probably doesn’t realize it.
We’re also labeled a murderer if we vote for any restrictions (pic 10)
So, leaving today, all of us will be murderers - of women or babies. That’s the state of discourse in society.
We live in a society now where we don’t receive the same information, we move from one faux outrage to the next with each news cycle, we network on social media platforms instead of face to face, and we assign a side to every issue. Even the Supreme Court, federal law enforcement agencies, & education are now partisan. In short, we live in a state & nation of toxic tribalism.
I saw a poll recently where 51% of Rs list FoxNews as a news source but only 11% of Ds do. On the reverse, 45% of Ds list CNN but only 8% of Rs do. We all know we only follow people on social media that we agree with.
This is not surprising to any of us, but what should be is half the nation is hearing completely different “facts” & stories as the other half.
Put another way, I went viral nationally this week & only 3 constituents reached out to me saying they saw me. 2 saw me on CNN. Another heard me on the Rickey Smiley radio talk show. The rest of my 4th most conservative district though didn’t see it because it was news they don’t hear. This is a prescription for danger in our society.
Despite unprecedented ease to communicate, we’re more distant than previous generations because we don’t break bread together. Instead we tweet our latest rage.
“The critical problem of our time is to find the path that marks the way of logic between conflicting arguments advanced by extremists on both sides on every issue that arises.” That’s not my quote. That’s a quote from Republican President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954.
What’s more concerning now than in 1954 though is the ease by which the extremes can communicate. I texted this to some of you that I wholeheartedly believe - the question for our state & nation’s future is how are we going to communicate & receive our information since we no longer know one another. Let me say that again, how are we going to communicate & receive our information since we no longer know one another?
My request to this body is that we individually understand that we are all pawns to a system that thrives on polarization. Media, political parties, elections, & unfortunately some very successful politicians thrive on what divides. But I’m a believer that politics is meant to calm our divisions, not represent them. We don’t have to be like DC. Unfortunately, every member I talk to now thinks that’s not where we’re headed but where we already are in Columbia. It doesn’t have to be that way. To combat it, though, we have to listen to each other, break bread with each other, & focus on common, not divisive goals.
There’s nothing more divisive in politics than abortion of course. It’s why I have invested little time in the past into the issue. However, with Dobbs, the issue obviously falls squarely in our laps & I tried my best in the past 8 weeks to see where my constituents stood.
The day after the Dobbs decision, on June 25, I texted my pastor, “Pastor, I don’t know if you’re going to preach on Dobbs/abortion. Now that the Court has sent the issue to states. The burden is heavy. I know what I personally believe. I’ve voted for every pro-life bill. But I’m concerned about criminalizing women. I’m worried about miscarriages being confused as abortions and innocent women being prosecuted. I’m worried about all the DSS clients I have losing their 7th, 8th, 9th child having another. I’m worried about women taking unsafe routes with no options. I’m worried about victims of rape and incest. I personally believe a woman’s life should be an exception but some of my colleagues don’t. We’re going to have to vote on every one of these issues. No matter what I vote, I’m going to upset nearly everyone for either not being “pro-life” enough or too “pro-life.” I’m fine asking the church members to tell me how they feel. I’m not sure how I’m going to get guidance from the district yet but I’d like to know what the majority believe.”
On July 7, I had the infamous phone call with the doctor about the 19 yo.
On July 15, I sent a two-page survey to every 2020 voter in the Crosswell precinct. I selected Crosswell because it is arguably my most conservative precinct - it went 83% Republican in 2020. I didn’t just want R primary voters but I did want it to be skewed. Davey Hiott & West Cox can attest that Crosswell area is not a bastion for liberal thought.
722 surveys were mailed. 43 were returned. The results clearly show the vast majority of even very conservative people want exceptions to abortion.
1. 64% agree with overturning Roe to return to states.
2. 81% believe in health of mother exception.
3. 72% believe rape exception in 1st 12 weeks
4. 72% believe incest exception in 1st 12 weeks.
5. 57% believe in criminalizing doctors.
6. 82% believe in more money to pregnancy centers.
7. 90% believe in more money to DSS, DJJ, foster care, etc.
8. 86% believe teachers should receive 6 weeks of paid parental leave
9. 71% believe in fetal anomalies exception.
10. 39% would vote yes on the current bill. 61% would vote no.
On August 9, I was presented with national polling giving Republicans 4 options: 15% of Republicans believe abortion should be illegal with no exceptions. The plurality view was 38% of Republicans believe abortion should be illegal with the exceptions of rape, incest, & life of mother. 21% believe abortion should be illegal after 15 weeks. 16% of Republicans believe abortion should be legal in all situations. More Republicans believe abortion should be legal in all situations than illegal with no exceptions.
On August 10, some dark, third-party group robocalled my district. “Press 1 to tell Neal Collins you are pro-life.” Pressing 1 dialed my cell phone. I answered the 12 phone calls. All 12 told me they were pro-life. I asked all 12 if they believed rape and incest should be an exception. 9 said yes. To the 3 that said no, I said I’m struggling with requiring a 12 year old raped by her father to have to carry. 2 of the 3 then said, “I don’t know, I would have to pray about those situations.”
On the evening of August 10, I posted that I would be at a cafe in downtown Easley on Saturday morning for 3 hours to listen to constituents on their views on abortion. The first private message was from a female constituent: “Yes, please remove 6 weeks to conception. Please remove rape and incest. Women who endure such a horrendous event do not need to add abortion to their trama. If we believe life begins at conception, which I believe science proves, then the only conclusion is that abortion kills a baby. We must do better at ministering to these women.” I then received 7 messages from men and women constituents encouraging me to vote for exceptions. This was from one female: “To pass what is currently on the table of a total ban on abortion except for the life of the mother is inhumane. First, a girl or woman who is the victim of rape or incest should NEVER be forced to carry a child. She's already been through the trauma of assault. I can't fathom how that would feel.”
In a matter of minutes, I had 2 women with diametrically opposed viewpoints.
On August 12, the SC Children's Hospital Collaborative sent a letter requesting an exception for victims of rape, incest, sexual trafficking, or other sexual assault with the following data points: 93% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members or people they know. Adolescent pregnancies can have a higher risk of medical complications.
On August 13, I received the following message from a non-constituent that highlights the unwavering viewpoint: Hi Neal. We were created in the image of God. We are unique. We were created male and female. We need to eradicate abortion. We need to ban it completely. The devil wants us to believe it is right and okay. It is wrong, it is sin, it is evil.
On August 13, I hosted a listening session in downtown Easley at Ironhorse Steamers. I advertised through social media. Around 40 people attended. I do not have proof that all of them were Easley residents although nearly all appeared to be. Around 30 were on either good with the current 6 week ban with exceptions or thought the current law was too extreme already. Around 10 encouraged passage of a more restrictive bill. Around half of those 10 either were okay with exceptions or would have to pray about it.
On August 13, Sara Barber, executive director of SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault wrote an op-ed fearing more domestic violence with passage of the bill. She gave the following to support her fear: Rape is a violent crime that removes all choice and control over a victim’s body and can result in unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. Women living in abusive relationships often do not have autonomy to make decisions for themselves, including the decisions to have sexual intercourse or to get pregnant. Once a woman becomes pregnant, violence frequently escalates, putting her at greater risk of domestic homicide — a leading cause of death for pregnant women. An abusive partner may forbid the use of birth control, often with the intent to conceive and increase a partner’s ties to him, furthering his power and control. Denying access to critical health care, including abortion care, increases the danger a victim is in and decreases her ability to seek safety from her rapist or abusive partner.
On August 13, I received the following email from a county, but not district resident: I’m thrilled you are asking for input on abortion legislation. My hubby and I are both against the murder of babies. We believe life begins at conception and there should be no right to murder a precious gift from God. No exceptions. We pray our legislators who are Christians seek God’s discernment on this legislation."
On August 15, "Palmetto Family Alliance" sent an email encouraging their email list to call House Judiciary members "with no amendments and let it be debated on the House floor." Another group, "Personhood SC" posted on Facebook, "Will Jason Elliott - SC State House Representative kill the Abortion Ban? The State House Judiciary meets tomorrow to consider the South Carolina Human Life Protection Act. Elliott is threatening to kill the bill during the morning subcommittee meeting. He and five other GOP members of the Judiciary are considering introducing exceptions to the bill. Please take a moment to send a message to the members.
Another organization, "South Carolina Citizens for Life" sent a letter "urges and encourages you to approve the H 5399 Human Life Protection Act Ad Hoc language without amendments and to send the bill intact to the House floor for debate. That will give SCCL and the National Right to Life Committee time to vet the effects of proposed amendments on the overall intent of the bill. As you know, even well-intentioned amendments can inadvertently damage, weaken, or even gut a bill. If this occurs, SCCL has no choice except to count a vote for such an amendment as an anti-life vote."
On August 15, I received the following data: 1 in 200 women using an IUD, implant, or tubal ligation become pregnant in the first year of use. 1 in 25 women using a depo injection become pregnant in the first year of use. 7 in 100 women using birth control and 13 in 100 using condoms become pregnant in the first year of use. The most effective methods like IUDs, implants, and sterilization are the hardest to obtain, require a doctors visit to start and stop, and are the most expensive. For example, a patient without insurance coverage for an IUD pays approximately $1700.The methods that are easier to obtain like birth control pills are less effective with 7% of women becoming pregnant in the first year. Even people with insurance have lots of hurdles. For example, young people who are dependents on their parents’ insurance often do not have contraception benefits. The narrative that irresponsible young women use abortion as birth control is simply not grounded in reality. Consider these datapoints from research: 51% of women were using contraception when they became pregnant. 1/3 of women are over the age of 30.
On August 24 & at least 2 other days, my district received a robotext from Students for Life Action. (Pic 11). Out of these robotexts, I received an automated generated email from around 50 constituents. One constituent told me - I haven’t verified - but the Students for Life Action is a DC group with $11 million in donations on their IRS form.
On August 26, SC Citizens for Life, sent a letter encouraging us to vote for a bill without exceptions.
As you can tell, being elected, we’re confronted with a lot. We're threatened by both sides.
I’m elected to represent District 5. District 5 is 75-80% "pro-life," however two-thirds are against a bill without exceptions.
For all the above reasons, after hundreds of discussions, hours of thought and prayer, I could not vote for a bill that requires a 12 year old rape victim to carry. I voted against that bill. That bill failed 47-55. I understand I will upset the segment who want a full ban without exceptions.
The bill was then moved for reconsideration in which rape and incest exceptions up to 12 weeks were put in, child support for fathers from date of conception, & other clean up language. The bill protects contraception, IVF, and clearly lists conditions in which mother's life is at risk (hopefully eliminating the 19 yo situation). No other amendments passed or would have passed. Criminality on doctors stayed in, which the majority of my constituents approved but I personally did not. Since exceptions were put in, I voted for the second bill. It passed 67-38. I understand I will upset the segment who did not want anything to pass.
I knew, at the end, no one would cheer a nuanced position. I fully understand the comments are about to be all negative. It's why I led off with something more important than this issue - where we receive our information, how we communicate with each other, & can we return to being a community that knows one another or do we just tweet insults at one another? I'm trying to do my part to the best of my ability. With that, I'm now humbly your punching bag ...
C&P
Today was quite the day in the SC House of Representatives. I apologize for not answering questions on how I would vote as I honestly did not know - no one did - what the bill ultimately would be. Further, due to complicated procedure, I could not speak on the bill once I knew what it was as we only had 10 minutes to do so at the end.
However, here is my written speech and my votes:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
What a two weeks this has been.
Before I begin my speech, I want to thank this body & staff for the love I experienced surrounding the death of my father last week. My dad was a dishwasher & food prepper at Pizza Inn my whole life. I emptied his apartment on Friday. I found this Pizza Inn shirt that’s over 2 decades old. In memory of him, I am wearing his shirt this week. Only in America can the son of a dishwasher receive condolences from people such as yourself & the Governor. We take for granted the mobility of classes and the myriad of opportunities available to each of us. This son of a dishwasher tries not to. And to debate in this beautiful chamber is one such opportunity that I’m thankful for.
For those who don't know, during the past two weeks, I also went viral because I told the following story: On July 7, just 2 weeks after our heartbeat bill went into effect, a doctor informed me that since fetal heartbeat is now law, a 19 year old woman entered the ER because her water broke at 15 weeks. The fetus was unviable but had a heartbeat. Standard medical procedure would be to remove the fetus. However, attorneys told the doctors they could not because a heartbeat was present. The option at that point was to keep the 19 year old in the hospital until the baby’s heartbeat stopped or discharge her. The hospital discharged her. That practically meant the 19 year old likely would pass the baby in a toilet and have to deal with the trauma herself. It also meant there’s a greater than 50% chance the 19 year old would lose her uterus and a 10% chance she would develop sepsis and die herself. Regardless of whether this was an overly cautious reading, it happened & it’s a stark example of the thoroughness needed in what we do.
As hundreds of people correctly pointed out, I am not a medical expert nor am I an expert on the other thousands of issues we face. I certainly did not intend for the 19 yo situation to be the slightest possibility. I don't think my colleagues did either. I believe it's a case of understandably conservative reading of the new law, an area that needs clarification, and/or the chilling effect.
Why this went viral & the response from the extreme left, though, show more about the current state of our society than anything.
In the wake of my dad dying & going viral at the same time, I’d like to show a sampling of the hundreds of phone calls & thousands of messages I’ve received:
This was my phone for a day - a call, text, post every few seconds (pic 1).
He is burning in hell, just like you will (pic 2)
I spit on your dad’s grave (pic 3)He raised a real pos (pic 4)
My 3 month old daughter & wife weren’t spared:
I hope this happens to your wife & daughter ten fold (pic 5)
I bet Olivia will grow up & see what a monster you are (pic 6)
I just wrote an algorithm that will scan for all Olivia Collins in the US in 2039 & distribute this video to each of them (pic 7)
I hope this happens to a woman you love (pic 8 )
The far left wasn’t the only one with extreme viewpoints. We all know the far right is just as unwavering in theirs:
Parenthood (pic 9) - This is a text from the director of SC Personhood. “If you vote in favor of killing innocent babies, you will prove yourself unfit to govern & you will create a movement to end your political career. Respectfully in Christ.” Nothing in this text is Christ like. At least in my faith. In fact, in my opinion, this is why so many are unchurched & Dr. Clark probably doesn’t realize it.
We’re also labeled a murderer if we vote for any restrictions (pic 10)
So, leaving today, all of us will be murderers - of women or babies. That’s the state of discourse in society.
We live in a society now where we don’t receive the same information, we move from one faux outrage to the next with each news cycle, we network on social media platforms instead of face to face, and we assign a side to every issue. Even the Supreme Court, federal law enforcement agencies, & education are now partisan. In short, we live in a state & nation of toxic tribalism.
I saw a poll recently where 51% of Rs list FoxNews as a news source but only 11% of Ds do. On the reverse, 45% of Ds list CNN but only 8% of Rs do. We all know we only follow people on social media that we agree with.
This is not surprising to any of us, but what should be is half the nation is hearing completely different “facts” & stories as the other half.
Put another way, I went viral nationally this week & only 3 constituents reached out to me saying they saw me. 2 saw me on CNN. Another heard me on the Rickey Smiley radio talk show. The rest of my 4th most conservative district though didn’t see it because it was news they don’t hear. This is a prescription for danger in our society.
Despite unprecedented ease to communicate, we’re more distant than previous generations because we don’t break bread together. Instead we tweet our latest rage.
“The critical problem of our time is to find the path that marks the way of logic between conflicting arguments advanced by extremists on both sides on every issue that arises.” That’s not my quote. That’s a quote from Republican President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954.
What’s more concerning now than in 1954 though is the ease by which the extremes can communicate. I texted this to some of you that I wholeheartedly believe - the question for our state & nation’s future is how are we going to communicate & receive our information since we no longer know one another. Let me say that again, how are we going to communicate & receive our information since we no longer know one another?
My request to this body is that we individually understand that we are all pawns to a system that thrives on polarization. Media, political parties, elections, & unfortunately some very successful politicians thrive on what divides. But I’m a believer that politics is meant to calm our divisions, not represent them. We don’t have to be like DC. Unfortunately, every member I talk to now thinks that’s not where we’re headed but where we already are in Columbia. It doesn’t have to be that way. To combat it, though, we have to listen to each other, break bread with each other, & focus on common, not divisive goals.
There’s nothing more divisive in politics than abortion of course. It’s why I have invested little time in the past into the issue. However, with Dobbs, the issue obviously falls squarely in our laps & I tried my best in the past 8 weeks to see where my constituents stood.
The day after the Dobbs decision, on June 25, I texted my pastor, “Pastor, I don’t know if you’re going to preach on Dobbs/abortion. Now that the Court has sent the issue to states. The burden is heavy. I know what I personally believe. I’ve voted for every pro-life bill. But I’m concerned about criminalizing women. I’m worried about miscarriages being confused as abortions and innocent women being prosecuted. I’m worried about all the DSS clients I have losing their 7th, 8th, 9th child having another. I’m worried about women taking unsafe routes with no options. I’m worried about victims of rape and incest. I personally believe a woman’s life should be an exception but some of my colleagues don’t. We’re going to have to vote on every one of these issues. No matter what I vote, I’m going to upset nearly everyone for either not being “pro-life” enough or too “pro-life.” I’m fine asking the church members to tell me how they feel. I’m not sure how I’m going to get guidance from the district yet but I’d like to know what the majority believe.”
On July 7, I had the infamous phone call with the doctor about the 19 yo.
On July 15, I sent a two-page survey to every 2020 voter in the Crosswell precinct. I selected Crosswell because it is arguably my most conservative precinct - it went 83% Republican in 2020. I didn’t just want R primary voters but I did want it to be skewed. Davey Hiott & West Cox can attest that Crosswell area is not a bastion for liberal thought.
722 surveys were mailed. 43 were returned. The results clearly show the vast majority of even very conservative people want exceptions to abortion.
1. 64% agree with overturning Roe to return to states.
2. 81% believe in health of mother exception.
3. 72% believe rape exception in 1st 12 weeks
4. 72% believe incest exception in 1st 12 weeks.
5. 57% believe in criminalizing doctors.
6. 82% believe in more money to pregnancy centers.
7. 90% believe in more money to DSS, DJJ, foster care, etc.
8. 86% believe teachers should receive 6 weeks of paid parental leave
9. 71% believe in fetal anomalies exception.
10. 39% would vote yes on the current bill. 61% would vote no.
On August 9, I was presented with national polling giving Republicans 4 options: 15% of Republicans believe abortion should be illegal with no exceptions. The plurality view was 38% of Republicans believe abortion should be illegal with the exceptions of rape, incest, & life of mother. 21% believe abortion should be illegal after 15 weeks. 16% of Republicans believe abortion should be legal in all situations. More Republicans believe abortion should be legal in all situations than illegal with no exceptions.
On August 10, some dark, third-party group robocalled my district. “Press 1 to tell Neal Collins you are pro-life.” Pressing 1 dialed my cell phone. I answered the 12 phone calls. All 12 told me they were pro-life. I asked all 12 if they believed rape and incest should be an exception. 9 said yes. To the 3 that said no, I said I’m struggling with requiring a 12 year old raped by her father to have to carry. 2 of the 3 then said, “I don’t know, I would have to pray about those situations.”
On the evening of August 10, I posted that I would be at a cafe in downtown Easley on Saturday morning for 3 hours to listen to constituents on their views on abortion. The first private message was from a female constituent: “Yes, please remove 6 weeks to conception. Please remove rape and incest. Women who endure such a horrendous event do not need to add abortion to their trama. If we believe life begins at conception, which I believe science proves, then the only conclusion is that abortion kills a baby. We must do better at ministering to these women.” I then received 7 messages from men and women constituents encouraging me to vote for exceptions. This was from one female: “To pass what is currently on the table of a total ban on abortion except for the life of the mother is inhumane. First, a girl or woman who is the victim of rape or incest should NEVER be forced to carry a child. She's already been through the trauma of assault. I can't fathom how that would feel.”
In a matter of minutes, I had 2 women with diametrically opposed viewpoints.
On August 12, the SC Children's Hospital Collaborative sent a letter requesting an exception for victims of rape, incest, sexual trafficking, or other sexual assault with the following data points: 93% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members or people they know. Adolescent pregnancies can have a higher risk of medical complications.
On August 13, I received the following message from a non-constituent that highlights the unwavering viewpoint: Hi Neal. We were created in the image of God. We are unique. We were created male and female. We need to eradicate abortion. We need to ban it completely. The devil wants us to believe it is right and okay. It is wrong, it is sin, it is evil.
On August 13, I hosted a listening session in downtown Easley at Ironhorse Steamers. I advertised through social media. Around 40 people attended. I do not have proof that all of them were Easley residents although nearly all appeared to be. Around 30 were on either good with the current 6 week ban with exceptions or thought the current law was too extreme already. Around 10 encouraged passage of a more restrictive bill. Around half of those 10 either were okay with exceptions or would have to pray about it.
On August 13, Sara Barber, executive director of SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault wrote an op-ed fearing more domestic violence with passage of the bill. She gave the following to support her fear: Rape is a violent crime that removes all choice and control over a victim’s body and can result in unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. Women living in abusive relationships often do not have autonomy to make decisions for themselves, including the decisions to have sexual intercourse or to get pregnant. Once a woman becomes pregnant, violence frequently escalates, putting her at greater risk of domestic homicide — a leading cause of death for pregnant women. An abusive partner may forbid the use of birth control, often with the intent to conceive and increase a partner’s ties to him, furthering his power and control. Denying access to critical health care, including abortion care, increases the danger a victim is in and decreases her ability to seek safety from her rapist or abusive partner.
On August 13, I received the following email from a county, but not district resident: I’m thrilled you are asking for input on abortion legislation. My hubby and I are both against the murder of babies. We believe life begins at conception and there should be no right to murder a precious gift from God. No exceptions. We pray our legislators who are Christians seek God’s discernment on this legislation."
On August 15, "Palmetto Family Alliance" sent an email encouraging their email list to call House Judiciary members "with no amendments and let it be debated on the House floor." Another group, "Personhood SC" posted on Facebook, "Will Jason Elliott - SC State House Representative kill the Abortion Ban? The State House Judiciary meets tomorrow to consider the South Carolina Human Life Protection Act. Elliott is threatening to kill the bill during the morning subcommittee meeting. He and five other GOP members of the Judiciary are considering introducing exceptions to the bill. Please take a moment to send a message to the members.
Another organization, "South Carolina Citizens for Life" sent a letter "urges and encourages you to approve the H 5399 Human Life Protection Act Ad Hoc language without amendments and to send the bill intact to the House floor for debate. That will give SCCL and the National Right to Life Committee time to vet the effects of proposed amendments on the overall intent of the bill. As you know, even well-intentioned amendments can inadvertently damage, weaken, or even gut a bill. If this occurs, SCCL has no choice except to count a vote for such an amendment as an anti-life vote."
On August 15, I received the following data: 1 in 200 women using an IUD, implant, or tubal ligation become pregnant in the first year of use. 1 in 25 women using a depo injection become pregnant in the first year of use. 7 in 100 women using birth control and 13 in 100 using condoms become pregnant in the first year of use. The most effective methods like IUDs, implants, and sterilization are the hardest to obtain, require a doctors visit to start and stop, and are the most expensive. For example, a patient without insurance coverage for an IUD pays approximately $1700.The methods that are easier to obtain like birth control pills are less effective with 7% of women becoming pregnant in the first year. Even people with insurance have lots of hurdles. For example, young people who are dependents on their parents’ insurance often do not have contraception benefits. The narrative that irresponsible young women use abortion as birth control is simply not grounded in reality. Consider these datapoints from research: 51% of women were using contraception when they became pregnant. 1/3 of women are over the age of 30.
On August 24 & at least 2 other days, my district received a robotext from Students for Life Action. (Pic 11). Out of these robotexts, I received an automated generated email from around 50 constituents. One constituent told me - I haven’t verified - but the Students for Life Action is a DC group with $11 million in donations on their IRS form.
On August 26, SC Citizens for Life, sent a letter encouraging us to vote for a bill without exceptions.
As you can tell, being elected, we’re confronted with a lot. We're threatened by both sides.
I’m elected to represent District 5. District 5 is 75-80% "pro-life," however two-thirds are against a bill without exceptions.
For all the above reasons, after hundreds of discussions, hours of thought and prayer, I could not vote for a bill that requires a 12 year old rape victim to carry. I voted against that bill. That bill failed 47-55. I understand I will upset the segment who want a full ban without exceptions.
The bill was then moved for reconsideration in which rape and incest exceptions up to 12 weeks were put in, child support for fathers from date of conception, & other clean up language. The bill protects contraception, IVF, and clearly lists conditions in which mother's life is at risk (hopefully eliminating the 19 yo situation). No other amendments passed or would have passed. Criminality on doctors stayed in, which the majority of my constituents approved but I personally did not. Since exceptions were put in, I voted for the second bill. It passed 67-38. I understand I will upset the segment who did not want anything to pass.
I knew, at the end, no one would cheer a nuanced position. I fully understand the comments are about to be all negative. It's why I led off with something more important than this issue - where we receive our information, how we communicate with each other, & can we return to being a community that knows one another or do we just tweet insults at one another? I'm trying to do my part to the best of my ability. With that, I'm now humbly your punching bag ...
