South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster #fundie #wingnut #homophobia #transphobia wistv.com
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Two of the men vying to lead South Carolina for the next four years outlined their visions for the state’s future Wednesday, with one pitching for South Carolina to stay its current course and the other arguing his opponent is pulling the state back to the past.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, seeking re-election for a second term, and former Democratic Congressman Joe Cunningham met Wednesday in Columbia for their first and only currently scheduled debate ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
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“I think it was fine the way it was before under Roe v. Wade,” Cunningham said. “…If an abortion ban comes to Gov. McMaster’s desk with no exceptions, he’ll sign it, and I’ll veto it.”
Prior to Roe’s overturn, McMaster had indicated his support for a ban from conception without exceptions, but he has since said he finds the exceptions included in the state’s currently-blocked six-week ban — for the life and health of the mother, sexual assault victims, and fatal fetal anomalies — as reasonable.
South Carolina’s Republican-dominated legislature has been attempting since the summer to further restrict abortions, but lawmakers have not been able to come to an agreement on a final bill.
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Questioning later turned to what would happen if the Supreme Court overturned another precedent, protecting same-sex marriage nationwide.
McMaster said he would follow a current state law that bans it. While that law is still on the books, it has been unenforceable following the court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision to require states recognize same-sex marriages.
“Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I think marriage ought to be between a man and a woman, just like I think that boys ought to play in boys’ sports and girls ought to play in girls’ sports,” McMaster said.
Cunningham, seemingly caught by surprise by McMaster’s response, responded the governor was taking the state backwards.
“Gov. McMaster has been leading South Carolina into the 1950s since the 1980s,” Cunningham said.