Affirm older age of consent
Citizens should vote "yes" to delete a provision of the S.C. Constitution (Section 33, Article III) that sets the age of consent for unmarried girls at 14 years old.
While this is mostly a housekeeping measure, it is prudent to do the cleanup and avoid problems that might arise if it isn't done.
At present, the constitution contradicts state law that sets the age of consent to have sex at 16 for boys and girls.
Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Charleston, took the lead on this issue, noting that the state constitution reflects a pre-industrial age when girls lived on farms, didn't go to school and married young.
While this change should sail through, there is a chance voters will be confused by the wording. A "yes" vote will not remove protection for girls. "Yes," instead, will erase any doubts that girls must be 16 to legally consent to sex, and it will remove a gray area that might be used by "creative" lawyers to cloud this important issue.
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