An Open Letter to Governor McMaster

Dear Governor McMaster,

We are going to great lengths, as we should, to protect lives because of the enormous value we place on an individual human life. Yet, in the midst of these ongoing efforts, the abortion clinics across South Carolina are busier than ever. Between March 16^th and April 7^th, 51 people died from the Coronavirus in South Carolina; each and every person significant and loved by many. There is little doubt that during this same period of time at least 150 lives have been destroyed just at Planned Parenthood in Columbia.

On March 17^th you requested that, “South Carolina medical and surgical centers halt all elective and non-threatening surgical and medical procedures within 72 hours.” On March 19^th you stated that you expected “everyone to comply.” The following day a spokesman followed up by saying that in the case of non-compliance, “he (the Governor) reserves the right to order that by executive order.”  Elective procedures are by definition a choice. As a matter of fact, killing a baby in the mother’s womb is an elective procedure, a “choice”, not a necessity, not an emergency. Abortion clinics are not complying with the request you made on March 17^th; rather they are using up PPE and exposing staff and patients to unnecessary risks by continuing to perform abortions. 

When people did not comply with your requests to not gather together socially, law enforcement was given discretion to disperse groups of more than three. When people congregated on our waterways, the order came to close public ramps and piers. In addition, the recent order to close many businesses deemed non-essential further highlights the fact that abortion clinics are doing business as usual, in defiance of your clear request to halt elective medical and surgical procedures.

Now is the time for South Carolina to act to close abortion clinics during this pandemic so that fewer people will be exposed to the virus, more resources could be made available to health care workers, and lives will be saved. Other states such as Ohio, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Alabama have ordered abortion clinics to close, and Texas’ order was recently upheld by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. We appreciate your leadership and stand ready to support you.

April 8, 2020

Page Two

Sincerely,

Sen. Richard Cash                                                                    Sen. Thomas Alexander

Sen. Wes Climer                                                                       Sen. Tom Corbin                                 

Sen. Ronnie Cromer                                                                 Sen. Mike Gambrell

Sen. Stephen Goldfinch                                                            Sen. Larry Grooms

Sen. Dwight Loftis                                                                   Sen. Shane Martin                               

Sen. Shane Massey                                                                   Sen. Harvey Peeler                              

Sen. Rex Rice                                                                           Sen. Katrina Shealy                             

Sen. Scott Talley                                                                      Sen. Ross Turner                                 

Sen. Danny Verdin