Tanackahey:

Its Time for congratulations again! This time to Chief Gene Norris, for his management of the South Carolina Indian Affairs Commission’s initiative H-3798, we call the Marriage bill.

It is (or will soon be) legal for an Indian Chief and/or a Spiritual Leader to perform a marriage ceremony and sign the license as a Chief (or as a Native American Spiritual Leader), if they are part of a recognized Indian entity in the state of South Carolina.

I suppose it would also make sense to congratulated a few of the other Native leaders in the state as well, because, this time as well as last time, under their guidance and perseverance, South Carolina’s Indians have taken another step forward.

Both bills are awaiting the Governor’s signature and I will try to get him to do a public signing. Stay tuned.

The Bill passed Thursday, the 5th of June, 2008.

Way to go all,of you who worked on this one.

This is another milestone for our state and our people!

The final bill and the History follows:

H-3798     06/05/08  House  Conference report received and adopted
                  06/05/08  Senate Conference report adopted
                  06/05/08  Senate Ordered enrolled for ratification

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 20-1-20, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO A PERSON WHO MAY PERFORM MARRIAGE CEREMONIES, SO AS TO ALSO INCLUDE THE CHIEF OF A NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN ENTITY RECOGNIZED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION FOR MINORITY AFFAIRS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 20-1-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 20-1-20.    Only ministers of the Gospel or, accepted Jewish rabbis and, officers authorized to administer oaths in this State, and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American Indian entity recognized by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs pursuant to Section 1-31-40 are authorized to administer a marriage ceremony in this State."

Way to go, y’all!

HDH A Waccamaw