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Article published Mar 18, 2005
Hawkins presses bill to ban gay marriage
Sen. John
Hawkins on Thursday stepped up the pressure to bring a bill to the Senate floor
that strengthens the state's gay marriage ban.Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, used the
Senate's new rules to pull the bill out of a subcommittee headed by Sen. Robert
Ford, D-Charleston.Hawkins' move came about two hours before Ford's first public
hearing on the issue and caught the Senate by surprise."There was a big
frustration on the part of a lot of supporters that this bill was stuck in a
subcommittee with a chairman who is probably its biggest opponent and there was
no chance of getting it out," Hawkins said."I had a way to get it out, and I did
it."The Senate sided with Hawkins and voted 36-4 to recall the bill from Ford's
subcommittee. It took nearly an hour for senators to reach an agreement that
returned the bill to the subcommittee but will have it placed on the Senate
calendar on April 4.Ford reacted angrily, at first canceling the public
hearings. He later relented, and Thursday's hearing wenton as scheduled."I have
enough sense to know that when this issue comes up it's going to pass," Ford
said. "But due process is due process. I wouldn't want anyone to violate my
civil rights, and I'm sure that gays and lesbians in South Carolina wouldn't
want their rights violated."The Senate's old guard criticized Hawkins for making
the move.President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, who says he supports
the bill but sent it to Ford's subcommittee, said the maneuver was
disrespectful. Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, said it was establishing a bad
precedent."There's certainly a place for courtesy and respect," Hawkins said.
"But this bill was being sidelined and the Republican leadership wasn't placing
any emphasis on it. It's incorrect to say it's setting a bad precedent. They
just didn't like the way the rules were used against them."Sen. Glenn Reese,
D-Boiling Springs, said Hawkins made a "wise move" to force the issue. He said
Ford's hearings were an attempt to prevent the bill from reaching the Senate
floor.Reese said those "moaning and groaning" about setting a precedent were
getting what they asked for."If they didn't want this to happen, they shouldn't
have changed the rules," Reese said. "Now it's being rammed down their throats,
and they don't like it. You live by the sword and you die by it."The House
already has approved the constitutional amendment. If it clears the Senate,
voters would get their say in the 2006 general election.Even though that
election is more than a year and a half away, Hawkins said now was the time to
act."The question shouldn't be what's the hurry," Hawkins said. "The question
should be what took us so long."Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or
bob.dalton@shj.com.