Effort to revive abortion amendment abandoned in committee
NASHVILLE (AP) — An effort to revive a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution limiting abortion rights was abandoned in a House committee Tuesday after its sponsor said it didn’t have enough support.
Rep. Mike Turner, a Democrat who is carrying the Senate resolution in the House, had said he was working to round up enough votes to resurrect the measure. It was previously defeated in a subcommittee last week.
But less than five minutes into the House Health and Human Resources Committee meeting, which was packed with supporters and opponents of the resolution, Turner said he would not continue his push.
“When we started this process, I said I would only run this if I had the votes,” he told his committee colleagues. “I do not have the votes to move this bill forward, (so) I reluctantly withdraw my motion.”
Afterward, Turner said he might still attempt to pull the resolution for consideration by the full House — a move that would require a two-thirds vote of the chamber. But right now, he says he has only 62 of the 66 votes he needs.
The resolution seeks to insert the following into the state constitution:
“Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or the funding thereof. The legislature shall have the sole authority to make and shall make such provisions for abortions as it determines reasonably necessary for victims of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.”
The resolution was approved last month by the Senate, but unless Turner can resurrect it in the House, the issue is dead until the next General Assembly convenes in January.
Even if approved by the House this year, two-thirds majorities would have to approve it during the next two-year session before it could go on the general election ballot in 2006. It would need approval by a number of voters equal to more than half the ballots cast in the governor’s race to become part of the constitution.
The resolution was proposed by abortion opponents because the state Supreme Court found in 2000 that the Tennessee Constitution offered greater protection of abortion rights than the U.S. Constitution, and justices struck down a law that required a waiting period and other restrictions.
Supporters of the measure, wearing bright yellow stickers reading “Let Us Vote in 2006,” said that despite Turner’s decision not to push the measure, the fight will continue.
“It is absolutely not over,” said Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life. “It’s been called dead. They’ve told us you’re defeated, you’re done.
“And every time the grass roots, pro-life population of Tennessee has spoken up and said we urge representation, … we want to decide these policies for ourselves and not rely on judges to determine public policy in Tennessee.”
Opponents of the measure also vowed Tuesday they will keep fighting it.
“(It) is an attack on the judiciary, it’s an attack on the state Constitution, and it’s an attack on women,” said Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee.
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On the Net:
Read Senate Joint Resolution 127: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us