State senator censured by Lexington County GOP over abortion stance

Posted 6/6/23

State Sen. Katrina Shealy was censured by the Lexington County Republican Party during its monthly executive committee meeting June 5.

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State senator censured by Lexington County GOP over abortion stance

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State Sen. Katrina Shealy was censured by the Lexington County Republican Party during its monthly executive committee meeting June 5.

Pamela Godwin, chair of the Lexington Republican Party, said the decision to censure Shealy comes after Shealy’s disagreement with South Carolina abortion legislation this past month. 

“The LCRP members presented a wide body of evidence and voted to censure Sen. Shealy,” Godwin said in a statement. “Being pro-life is a bare minimum expectation for Republican legislators in Lexington County and Sen. Shealy has unfortunately failed that test very outwardly.”

A censure is a formal statement of disapproval by someone’s political party. While a censure doesn’t remove someone from office, it can make it more difficult to gain support in legislation and during elections.

Gov. Henry McMaster signed a six-week abortion ban that went into effect immediately on May 25. The abortion ban was blocked indefinitely in S.C. Circuit Court by Judge Clifton Newman the next day. 

Shealy voted against the current six-week abortion ban, citing that it wasn’t enough time for a woman to know if she were pregnant. Shealy proposed a 12-week ban that would give women more time as an effort to compromise.

“​​People know they're pregnant by 12 weeks,” Shealy told the Chronicle. “That gives people a chance to make that decision by themselves where the government shouldn't be making those decisions. I did offer a compromise of a 12-week ban, but suddenly they think I'm not pro-life.”

Shealy doesn’t see her support for a different bill as opposition. She believes she is following the privacy ideas of the Republican Party. 

“These are the same people that don't want you telling them when to wear a mask or when to get a vaccination or where their kids should go to school and I believe all of those things,” Shealy said. “I don't believe the government needs to be invading your privacy and they want to tell me that I'm not abiding by the Republican principles, but the Republican principles are, don't get in my business and you know, this is getting in my business.” 

Shealy doesn’t plan to let this affect her role as a senator. 

The censure “doesn't change the fact that I'm going to keep working as hard as I can,” she said. “I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing because I do a good job. And I'm probably the hardest working senator up here so I'm not gonna change that.”

Shealy’s District 23 covers a large swath of Lexington County, including Batesburg-Leesville and the Town of Lexington. She has served the district since 2012.

The censure is the first major announcement from the county GOP since Godwin was elected chair in April in a campaign that promised to “bring the party back to the people” and to “always [pursue] God’s agenda first.” 

Godwin’s husband was involved in a situation that led to the 2022 censure of West Columbia City Council Member Mike Green, who was accused of taunting and harassing others months after Angus Godwin was arrested after allegedly slapping Green at the party’s 2021 Christmas party.

Pamela Godwin didn’t immediately respond to the Chronicle’s request for additional comment.

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.

state sen. katrina shealy, lexington county gop, sc republican party, south carolina abortion ban

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