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Legislators Announce Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment
Resolution Seeks Restoration of Waiting Period, Consent Provisions
March 10, 2001—Nashville, TN: A
coalition of state legislators and pro-life organizations led by Tennessee
Right to Life have announced support for an amendment to the Tennessee
Constitution that would enable citizens of Tennessee to restore protective
laws struck down by the Tennessee Supreme Court last fall.
The action comes as a result of a controversial
ruling last September in Planned
Parenthood of Middle Tennessee v. Sundquist in which the state’s
highest court struck down popularly supported statutes regulating abortion
in Tennessee. In a 4-1 decision, the Court ruled that the Tennessee
Constitution provides a “fundamental right to abortion.”
The
Court further held that this newly discovered “right” was even broader
than the federal right to abortion affirmed by the United State Supreme
Court in Roe v. Wade. According to Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right
to Life, the Court’s actions had the effect of removing the power of the
people to pass even basic protections such as the waiting period or
requiring doctors to inform women about the procedure.
Senator
David Fowler (R-Signal Mountain) is the primary sponsor of the legislation
in the state senate.
“There has been much talk in recent years about the
right of the people to vote to amend the state Constitution,” said Sen.
Fowler. “Only the people can
amend the Constitution and the majority of the Court usurped that right by
its decision.
It is only right that the people should have an opportunity to decide
whether they want to accept or reject that court-made amendment and whether
they think that reasonable protections for the woman and her child should be
in place,” Fowler continued.
Representative
Jamie Hagood (R-Knoxville) is the House sponsor. “I believe the
people should have a say in the matter of abortion,” said Rep. Hagood.
“Four judges on the state
Supreme Court have silenced our citizens on this issue and have effectively
made any meaningful compromise on this issue all but impossible.”
Senate Joint Resolution 110
Any right to an abortion in Tennessee shall only be such as is protected under the United States Constitution as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court, from time to time. Nothing in this Constitution shall be interpreted to require that any state funds be appropriated by the state to fund or pay for any abortion.
The amendment was filed on Tuesday, March 6 following a press conference coordinated by Tennessee Right to Life. SJR 110 will be brought up first in the State Senate and upon passage will be sent to the House of Representatives for action. Pro-life Tennesseans should contact their Senator and Representative immediately and urge others to do so as well.
Click here for a questions and answers page concerning Tennessee abortion law and SJR 110.
For your reference, below are listed the Senators and Representatives who are serving as Co-Sponsors for SJR 110. If your legislators are listed below, please contact them and thank them. If not, contact them and ask them to co-sponsor. Contact information is available at www.legislature.state.tn.us or call TRL at 1-877-CHOOSE LIFE for more info.
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