Tennessee Senate Approves Constitutional Referendum in 2010 on Abortion

Last Thursday the Tennessee Senate approved legislation that would allow a statewide constitutional referendum in 2010 to ratify new constitutional language that reads: "Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion." The measure passed on a bipartisan vote of 24-9.  In 2000, the Tennessee Supreme Court had struck down a series of abortion restrictions found in Tennessee law. However, some observers contend that in those rulings the court suggested that the Tennessee Constitution contains a stronger, implicit right to privacy than the United States Supreme Court has recognized in the United States Constitution. Source: The Tennessean.com. For the complete story, please click here (last visited March 15, 2006, reo).