GOP Majority In Tenn. Legislature Likely To Support Constitutional Amendment To Limit Abortion

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 26 Nov 2008 - 6:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

With Republican majorities in both the state House and Senate, abortion-rights opponents in Tennessee are launching a long-term effort aimed at passing a state constitutional amendment that would clear the way for limiting protections for abortion rights, the Tennessean reports. The constitutional amendment would state that Tennessee law does not explicitly protect abortion rights. According to the Tennessean, the state is considered "solidly conservative" and has the "second-highest concentration of evangelical Christian voters in the nation." However, because of a 2000 state Supreme Court ruling that struck down some state restrictions on abortion -- including an informed consent script and a mandatory waiting period -- the state "provides some of the strongest abortion protection in the nation." A recent report by the Center for Reproductive Rights found that Tennessee is one of 10 states that would continue to protect abortion rights if Roe v. Wade were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to the Tennessean, the amendment "wouldn't automatically change abortion laws in the state," but could "pave the way" for future legislation that would set limits on abortions "without running afoul" of Tennessee's Constitution or state courts. State House Democratic leadership has successfully blocked efforts to pass such an amendment in the past. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R) said he is confident that the amendment will pass both chambers this year, adding that it has previously passed the Senate four times. State Rep. Mary Pruitt (D), who heads the committee that previously blocked the amendment, said the amendment "will more than likely come out of committee."

According to the Tennessean, although the amendment is expected to be "warmly" received in the House, it would need to pass both chambers first by a simple majority in the 2009-10 legislative session and again by a two-thirds majority in the 2011-12 session. The last step would be a ballot referendum in 2014, which, if approved, would allow lawmakers to begin working on legislation to restrict abortion rights by 2015. Advocates on both side of the issue say that without voter approval of the ballot referendum in 2014, there is not much that can be done to change the abortion laws in Tennessee, the Tennessean reports. Ted Miller, spokesperson for NARAL Pro-Choice America, said, "If anti-choice politicians in Tennessee succeed in weakening that state's constitutional right to privacy, then we could see Tennessee fall to the bottom in terms of protecting women's freedom and privacy" (Carey, Tennessean, 11/24).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.