August 2, 2024
In a massive victory for life on the legislative level, Students for Life Action (SFLAction) used grassroots initiatives and pressure to get three South Carolina state senators voted out and replaced them with pro-life legislators.
And today, we dropped off moving boxes to help them get their stuff out of their offices.
The “Senator Sisters,” Katrina Shealy, Sandy Senn, and Penry Gustafason, should’ve taken the Pro-Life Generation seriously when they sided with South Carolina House democrats to shut down lifesaving bills.
First, they voted against the Life at Conception Act and tried to change an SFLAction-approved six-week heartbeat bill, the Heartbeat Abortion Protection Act, to a 12-week bill, which would allow for abortion up to almost three months. Thankfully, it didn’t work.
SFLAction immediately caught wind and warned them that if their stance on life did not change, then we would educate their constituents on their views. That’s precisely what we did.
We mobilized groups from across the region to door-knock and educate our neighbors on these senators’ voting records against the pro-life movement and the preborn. Many people were surprised that their representatives voted in the opposite of their constituents’ beliefs. SFLAction sent out two rounds of mailers, totaling 37,407 pieces, as well as sending 110,641 text messages, making 47,011 phone calls, and knocking on 2,572 doors.
The results of our labor? These three senators lost in their primaries to solid pro-life representatives, which included a run-off defeat of Shealy by Carlisle Kennedy.
First, we sent them spines (you know, so they could “grow a spine “), as the New York Times noted.
READ: We Offered These Republican Leaders Spines – Now They’re Packing Their Stuff
Then, we warned them to stand by the pro-life movement and represent their Republican and pro-life constituents.
They didn’t listen, so we tirelessly educated voters, and they agreed with us: these “Sister Senators” had to go.
The staff and assistants of these State Senators were appreciative of the help, as they knew their time in Columbia was ending.
And it stands now as an example for all with the eyes to see it:
This is what happens when SFLAction and the pro-life voters jump into action against representatives who don’t stand for life in the legislative session – we will send them packing. t
And so, we bid a fond farewell to the “Senator Sisters.” We hope that Katrina Shealy, SC Senate District 23, Sandy Senn, SC Senate District 41, and Penry Gustafason, SC Senate District 27, enjoy their unemployment and think long and hard about the choices that brought them to this point.
And we hope anyone watching will think twice about betraying the pro-life movement – it’s not worth it.
Just ask them.
UPDATE: on July 31st, Yahoo News posted news coverage of our box delivery and Sen. Shealy’s reaction (spoiler alert: she wasn’t happy.)
READ MORE HERE: Pro-life students attacks continue on ‘Sister Senators.’ This time, with moving boxes.
