South Carolina House Votes on Critical Amendments
By: Tracy Sanders
tracy@thewoodrufftimes.com
On Friday, January 20, the South Carolina House garnered national attention after Riley Gaines, an American former competitive swimmer who competed for the University of Kentucky NCAA swim team, tweeted, “63 Republicans in the South Carolina House just voted to kill an amendment that would criminalize doctors who chemically and/or surgically castrate minors.” Along with the tweet, she posted a picture of the voting board from the SC House.
Gaines was referring to a vote that came before the South Carolina House to amend Bill 4624. The proposed amendment, amendment 9, suggests that if a doctor, mental health professional, or healthcare provider breaks the rules outlined in Section 44-42-320, they could be charged with a misdemeanor. If found guilty, they might face a fine of up to ten thousand dollars or, a maximum prison term of one year, or both. This amendment aims to establish legal consequences for healthcare professionals who do not comply with the regulations outlined in Section 44-42-320.
Note: The purpose of Section 44-42-320 is to clearly define terms like gender and sex. The main focus is to prevent doctors from providing gender transition procedures to individuals under the age of 18. There are some exceptions, but in general, they want to make it illegal to use public funds for these procedures. If someone breaks these rules, there will be penalties.
At the time of this writing, Gaines’s tweet has received 1.3 million views. Gaines’s post caused a rumbling on social media that made its way to the floor of the South Carolina House.
It was also the topic of conversation on a popular podcast, The Tara Show Podcast. Podcastnews.net describes the podcast, “Tara presides over the Upstate’s #1 all news/talk morning show every weekday on News/Talk 989 WORD. Tara’s faithful listeners are affectionately known as “Tara-ists” because of their passion and participation in the show.” Tara spoke about the tweet and verbally listed the names of all the republican representatives who voted to table the amendment. Tara accuses some of the republican house representatives of lying to voters during the elections, touting a conservative view when they are actually liberal. One of the representatives Tara called out is District 35 representative Willam “Bill” Chumley.
The Woodruff Times contacted Chumley to get a statement. Chumley stated that Tara had made a mistake. His name was not on the list of those that tabled the vote. Tara has since issued an apology to Chumley and has invited him to speak on her podcast on Monday morning, 1/22, at 7:30 am. Chumley commends Tara on clarifying and says he plans to attend the podcast. He also stated, “I am Proud and thankful for the Freedom Caucus, and I have been fighting for years to move these bills.”
Another amendment, amendment 15, was brought to the floor later the same day and was passed in a vote of 83 to 20. The new amendment states, “A physician who knowingly performs genital gender reassignment surgery in violation of this chapter is guilty of inflicting great bodily injury upon a child as provided for in Section 16-3-95(A).”
Note: “Section 16-3-95. “(A) It is unlawful to inflict great bodily injury upon a child. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than twenty years.”
This sequence of events underscores the impact of public awareness and advocacy on legislative decisions. Riley Gaines’s advocacy initiated a chain reaction, prompting discussions in both the public sphere and the South Carolina House. It serves as a reminder that citizens’ voices can influence policy decisions. To actively participate in shaping laws, citizens are encouraged to proactively contact their representatives to voice opinions and concerns, reinforcing the democratic process.
More information on Riley Gaines
Riley Gaines is a prominent advocate for defending women’s single-sex spaces, promoting equality, and ensuring women’s safety, privacy, and equal opportunities. A former 12-time All-American swimmer at the University of Kentucky, Gaines gained attention for speaking out against competing against a biological male swimmer on the women’s team. This experience led her to challenge the rules of sports governing bodies, including the NCAA, USA Swimming, and the International Olympic Committee. Now working with a leading women’s organization, Riley focuses on legal definitions of ‘woman,’ protecting Title IX, and advocating for women’s rights to single-sex spaces and equal opportunities. She has become a powerful voice, traveling the country to speak and testifying before various legislative bodies.
Author: Tracy Sanders
