Tonight the Halls Republican Club met. The first speaker was Leslie Hunts who represents the Vote Yes Amendment 1 campaign. Beginning in 2000, Planned Parenthood targeted abortion clinics in court challenging the state constitution. On a 4-1 vote of the State Supreme Court, they stripped informed consent. When you have a knee, hip replacement or any other medical procedure you must be presented with the options and the risks of the procedure. But with abortions and with informed consent stripped out, it is not the case.
Additionally, the 48 hour waiting period was taken away. It is just a good option to have conversations with a spiritual advisor, the father of the child, parents. A cooling off period to not make a hasty, life altering decision.
Additionally, late term abortions are not only permissible in hospitals. It makes common sense to have late term abortions in a medical facility, in the event of a complications.
The eight states around us, have these precautions. One out of three abortions in TN are on out of state ladies. The opposition will say this will ban abortions, Roe -v- Wade gives ladies the right to abortion. In order for the Vote YES on 1 to pass it must secure enough vote to amount to 50%+1 of the votes cast in the Governors Race between Bill Haslam and Charlie Brown.
Dr. Richard Briggs the Republican candidate for State Senate District Seven in speaking in favor of Vote YES on 1 says abortion clinics do not have the sterilization requirements as out patient clinics or adhere to hospital credentials. Doctors in these clinics should have the same credentials of hospital physicians.
Dr. Briggs then spoke about the other three amendments. On Amendment 2, Vote Yes. Currently a judicial nominating committee send to Governor three names that have been vetted through an applicant pool through interviews. Dr. Briggs said, this has been a good system. Briggs additionally asked, do we really want 8% of the people deciding the selection of Senior Judges. This is a reference to the 8% of Knox County voters that voted in May 2014.
The fact that this same issue was voted affirmatively in 1978 and the will of the people was that these Judges be elected and that vote has been ignored. Representative Bill Dunn said that the courts ruled that selected means elected. The courts have been legislating for the bench.
Dr. Briggs said a Vote YES on Amendment 3 is a no brainier, it means no state income tax in TN. While Republicans run things now and a state income tax is unlikely, who knows what happens in 20 years.
Dr. Briggs also explained Amendment 4 this allows non profit veterans groups to have lotteries of chance. When the State Lottery passed, all other non profit groups were allowed except the vets. This is a clean up measure.
Dr. Briggs also said that he supports partisan school board elections. He said that elections should be an open process and that allowing candidates to run non partisan is allowing them to shield their real ideology. He was asked about Appointed or Elected School Superintendents. He said that he is for appointed Superintendents. He cited the previous UT Presidents in that some have been bad and some good.
