Why is Partial Birth Abortion Legal in Tennessee? SJR 127

I have signed the petition, I petition you to do the same!

The Blue Collar Muse has an excellent post on this important state issue.

SJR 127 Will Allow Us to Stop
Partial-Birth Abortion in Tennessee.
Act now!

What is SJR 127?

Six Against Six Million - SJR 127 "Let Us Vote

Armstrong - rep.joe.armstrong@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-0768
DeBerry - rep.lois.deberry@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-3830
Favors - rep.joanne.favors@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-2702
Jones - rep.sherry.jones@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-2035
Pruitt - rep.mary.pruitt@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-3853
Richardson - rep.jeanne.richardson@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-2010

Supporters of Anti-abortion Amendment Take Case to YouTube

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Two conservative groups have launched a media campaign to try to resurrect a constitutional amendment which says abortion is not a protected right in Tennessee.

The Family Action Council of Tennessee and the Tennessee Eagle Forum are promoting a one-minute video on YouTube. The video claims that six members of the House Public Health subcommittee silenced six million Tennesseans when they bottled up the abortion resolution and kept it from going to the House floor.

“(music underneath) Why is partial birth abortion legal in Tennessee? Because they won’t let us vote on it.”

Opponents of the resolution say the YouTube video misstates the law.

Dr. Gene Caldwell, who helped draft the law, says the ban of partial birth abortion is still on the books.

“It was passed either ’97 or ’98, and as far as I know it has not been challenged in court. We tried to write so it would not be challenged and where it would continue to be against the law in Tennessee for partial birth abortion.”

Right To Life forces are quoting a February opinion from the state Attorney General in arguing that partial birth abortion is legal in Tennessee.

WEB EXTRA

The resolution would put an amendment in front of Tennessee voters on the 2010 ballot. The amendment says the Tennessee constitution doesn’t provide a right to an abortion, essentially overturning a Tennessee Supreme Court case.

House sponsor Dolores Gresham, a West Tennessee Republican, says she appreciates the video,
and she’s still trying to get her fellow House members to support the resolution.

“I asked them two questions. One, is there a will in this House to pass SJR 127? Number two, would you be willing to sign a pledge to suspend the rules to bring it to the floor?”

Gresham needs 66 votes to bring it to floor. She says she’s not sure how many pledges she has so far.

You can see the path of SJR 127 here.

Here’s a link to the Family Action Council of Tennessee. To see it’s YouTube video click here.

The Attorney General’s opinion addresses a situation in which the federal Supreme Court ruled that the federal law banning partial birth abortion is legal. To see the text of the opinion, click here.

At the time of passage for the partial birth abortion, Dr. Caldwell got pro-choice obstetricians to testify that such procedures were rarely medically necessary.

By Joe White