Abortion battle heats up November ballot - WMC Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

The abortion battle has sparked up again with a Tennessee constitutional amendment hitting the November ballot that would place more restrictions on the procedure.

Amendment 1 may be the most heated decision on the November ballot.

"You talk about the war on women. To me, we are the ones protecting women and seeking to give them information," said Myra Simons with the Yes on 1 campaign. "That's what this is all about."

This battle over abortion rights has been brewing for 14 years, stemming out of a 2000 court case where the Tennessee Supreme Court sided with Planned Parenthood and the ACLU to throw out certain restrictions on abortions in favor of more privacy.

"Women should be respected and given the right to make these decisions with their partner, with the faith leaders, with their health providers, and not where we hand it over to politicians," said Hedy Weinberg with the ACLU.

Weinberg represents the No on 1 campaign. The Yes on 1 campaign claims women need more empowerment to make that choice.

"We cannot outlaw abortion," Simons said. "This amendment allows common sense, protective laws, to go back on the books."

If Amendment 1 passes, lawmakers could establish a 24-hour waiting period, along with licensing and inspection of facilities, and protection for taxpayers from funding abortions.

"Were this amendment to pass, it would open up the floodgates and allow politicians and the Tennessee legislature to begin to pass laws that would restrict access to abortion," Weinberg said.

No on 1 supporters also worry about no exceptions for rape or health risk cases in the proposed restrictions at the state's six clinics.

"Our clinics are not regulated or inspected or licensed, not required to be," Simons said. "And that is a scary thing for women."

Thousands of signs for supporters and opponents will be going out next week.

For more information on the two campaigns, visit voteno1tn.org and yeson1tn.org.

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