Tennessee Abortion Vote Fallout Continues, Democrats Claim Partisan Intent 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 27, 2008
Nashville, TN (LifeNews.com) — The fallout continues over yesterday’s vote to reject a state constitutional amendment that would have allowed the legislature to put limits on abortions in place. Democrats on the subcommittee that rejected the measure claim pro-life groups and lawmakers only advanced the measure to help Republicans.
However, the state’s leading pro-life group tells LifeNews.com that’s not the case and says it hopes pro-life Democrats in the House will help bring the measure to the floor.
A Tennessee House committee killed the constitutional amendment that would nullify a state Supreme Court decision misusing the privacy clause in it to create an unlimited right to abortion.
The House Public Health and Family Assistance Subcommittee defeated SJR-0127 on a 6-3 vote as the Democratic-controlled panel has done before.
Rep. Sherry Jones, a Nashville Democrat, called the proposal "an election-year circus" and claimed the bill was only about partisanship.
But Karen Brukardt of Tennessee Right to Life, said the Democrats on the panel who defeated the bill were the ones engaging in the partisanship.
"Tennesseans were allowed to vote on the lottery. What is it about abortion that the Democratic leadership is so afraid to allow the people to have their say?" she said.
Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life, said his group doesn’t engage in partisanship and pointed out that the "fate of pro-life SJR 127 still rests with pro-life Democrats."
"What will these groups do to exercise leadership and influence so that pro-life protections may be restored in our state?" he asked.
TRTL called on its members to contact more than 10 pro-life Democrats in the House to urge them to support an effort to bring the amendment to the floor for consideration and a vote.
That’s something Rep. Dolores Gresham, a Republican who sponsored the measure, hopes to do.
Related web sites:
Tennessee Right to Life – https://tennesseerighttolife.org
