There's no word yet on whether Tennessee Republicans will perform one of their traditional last minute dramas on abortion rights or gay rights this year. The legislative sessions ends next month.
Traditionally, the part time legislators perform a last minute controversial drama or two -- around legislation designed to take rights away from a minority group. Since this is an election year, it will be quite remarkable if legislators fail to perform for their rightwing audience.
Abortion rights and same-sex marriage are the targets of the usual end of the session dramas. But last year, lawmakers succeeded in passing a measure that puts the question of gay marriage on the ballot this year. (The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the effort to ban same-sex marriage.)
But never fear, lawmakers have found plenty of other creative ways to take rights away from gays and lesbians and their families.
While lawmakers' efforts to outlaw gay adoption appear to be stalled, gay adoption and abortion rights remain the two most likely subjects for last minute front page dramas. Joyce Arnold has a report on the apparent death of the adoption bills.
Generally, scandal and extremist efforts to rob citizens of rights remain the surest way for attention starved legislators to get media attention in this state. It's quite possible that if lawmakers were accorded an occasional positive stroke from the media, they'd be less inclined to act up, or threaten to rob citizens of rights.
The passage of the anti gay marriage measure moved abortion rights to the number one position on the radical right marquee. Below is an excerpt (snippets) from the Knox News Sentinel on the status of SJR 127, the effort to outlaw abortion rights in this state.
Associated Press:
Naifeh to fight abortion bill floor vote
NASHVILLE - House leaders said Thursday they will resist any attempt to seek a floor vote on a failed proposal to amend the state constitution to limit abortions. The proposed amendment, which says "nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion," failed Wednesday in the same subcommittee of the House Health and Human Resources Committee as last year.
"If they do it as they've traditionally done, they'll try to bring it directly to the floor, and I will oppose that," said House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, a Covington Democrat. Bypassing the committee system would require 66 votes in the 99-member House, where Democrats hold a 53-46 majority. The Senate earlier this year adopted the resolution after declining an attempt to provide exceptions for women who are victims of incest or rape, or if their lives are in danger.
Rep. Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville and the main sponsor of the measure in the House, has not yet said whether she will seek to circumvent the subcommittee's vote.
Yes, Democrats are the majority party in the House, but a majority of those Dems are not pro choice.
See: NARAL BillTracker -- Status of pending pro choice and anti choice legislation in Tennessee.
Reproductive Rights Birth Control Media Feminism Abortion Gay Adoption SJR 127 Gay Tennessee Legislators GOP Democrats
