March 10, 2004: SJR 127 UPDATE - Attack on State Judiciary, State Constitution, and Women - Senate vote tomorrow (Thursday)

As many of you are already aware, the final Senate vote on SJR 127 was deferred on Monday and will take place tomorrow, March 11 at 9:00 am in the Senate Chamber. During Monday's debate, the bill's sponsor (David Fowler) was successful in stripping away an amendment that would have provided constitutional protection to women in the event of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the woman. Instead, a watered-down version of the amendment was passed, which in reality offers no additional protection for women in these instances above and beyond what already exists legislatively. While we maintain our opposition to this bill with or without the amendment, Senator Fowler's determination to provide absolutely no protection for women even in the event of rape, incest and when the life of the woman is threatened, reveals the true intent of this bill. It is an all out attack on the women of Tennessee and seeks to rob women of their right to make choices about their own health, safety and personal welfare. Instead, Senator Fowler wants to empower the government to decide what is best for women.

Fowler and his anti-choice supporters have been very successful thus far in moving this bill along through the legislative process in the Senate. Tomorrow is our last opportunity to let our voices be heard on this issue before the final senate vote. At Monday's meeting, the anti-choice supporters outnumbered pro-choice supporters by a large margin. We must all do a better job of mobilizing pro-choice support if we are to overcome the very well-organized and well-executed efforts of the anti-choice folks. Now is the time to let our voices be heard and our faces be seen by legislators who seek to rob women of reproductive rights in Tennessee!

Again, please contact your legislators and make every effort to attend Thursday's meeting if at all possible. It is time for those who value reproductive freedom in Tennessee to stand up and be counted on this crucial issue. We need a strong, unified effort to ensure that SJR 127 does not pass the Tennessee General Assembly. We cannot stand by and allow our State Constitution to be amended in a way that takes away women's right to privacy, to control of their own bodies, and to reproductive freedom.

Many thanks,
Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director