State lawmakers will have more authority to regulate laws on abortion with passage of Amendment 1 to the Tennessee Constitution in the November election.
Amendment 1, which passed with 53 percent of the vote, was one of the most hotly contested issues in Tennessee’s general election. Since its passage, lawmakers have already stepped forward to propose new restrictions including waiting periods, mandatory ultrasounds and new inspections of abortion clinics.
State Senator Mae Beavers told WJLE Wednesday that she supports “sensible” laws on abortion. “Amendment 1 allowed people to say whether or not they wanted the legislature or the Supreme Court making the laws on abortion. The Supreme Court had overturned every sensible piece of legislation that we had passed. We’re talking about sensible laws like informed consent. If I go to the doctor for any other kind of procedure or to the hospital, I have to sign a consent form. Why shouldn’t a woman have to do that who is having an abortion. We’ll be looking at whether or not facilities that do abortions should be licensed just like our hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. We’ll be looking at whether they should have health inspections like our other surgery centers. Those are just some common sense things we’ll be considering this year because of Amendment 1 that was passed,” said Senator Beavers.
Opponents of Amendment 1 are seeking to overturn it calling the election process “tainted”. They’re asking a federal judge to allow a lawsuit to continue that seeks to either re-count or reject the vote count in favor of the measure.
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