Press Release, Nashville---The Yes on 1 campaign announced today
that state Senator Douglas Henry has joined the effort to win public
approval of Amendment 1 and will serve as an Honorary Chairman for the
campaign. He joins other announced chairmen including Stevie and
Darrell Waltrip, Memphian Charlotte Bergmann, Dr. Ming Wang, and Dr.
Carol Swain.
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Senator Douglas Henry |
Henry, a longtime Nashville Democrat, underscored his support for public passage of the amendment on grounds that the 2000 ruling by the Tennessee Supreme Court wrongly interpreted abortion as a fundamental right and, as a result, limits the ability of Tennesseans and their elected representatives to decide public policy on the important matter of abortion.
"I find myself in strong agreement with former Chief Justice William Barker who eloquently stated that the effect of the Court's holding was to remove from the people all power, except by constitutional amendment, to enact reasonable regulations of abortion," Henry said. "I've consistently advocated a public vote to address the results of the 2000 ruling and I very much look forward to fulfilling my duty in order that this matter might be remedied."
Barker wrote in his dissent that the "Court had converted itself into a roving constitutional convention, which sees itself free to strike down the duly-enacted laws of the legislature for no other reason than it feels they are burdensome and unwise." Henry co-sponsored the Senate resolution which placed Amendment 1 on the ballot for a public vote in November.
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Perhaps if the court was directly elected, as required by the state constitution, this wouldn't be a problem. You bemoan the fact that they ignore their constitutionally defined role, but why would you expect otherwise? They don't even see an issue with the fact that how they are placed on the court to begin with is unconstitutional.
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