TN Voters Narrowly Pass Anti-Abortion Ballot Measure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2014

CONTACT:
Lindsay Kee, ACLU-TN communications director, 615-320-7142

NASHVILLE—Voters in Tennessee have passed Amendment 1, a dangerous ballot measure that gives politicians greater leeway to restrict abortion.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee fought to defeat the measure as part of “Vote No on One Tennessee,” a statewide campaign led by Planned Parenthood—Middle and East Tennessee, Planned Parenthood—Greater Memphis Region, and ACLU-TN.

The following can be attributed to Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee:

“With tonight's narrow passage of Amendment 1, we know state legislators are poised to begin restricting access to comprehensive reproductive health care in Tennessee during the next legislative session.  But we are prepared to mobilize against measures that serve only to create barriers to health care service.  The robust, statewide grassroots coalition we’ve built throughout this campaign will continue to amplify constituents’ voices to our elected officials. Politicians need to know that extreme, medically-irrelevant laws will be strongly opposed by voters.”