Rep. Jeanne Richardson (D – Memphis) went to bat for Gen X and Millennial Tennesseans last week when Rep. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough)’s latest nullification/forced birth legislation was brought to the state House floor for a vote.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, is amended by adding the following language as a new, appropriately designated section: No health care plan required to be established in this state through an exchange pursuant to federal health care reform legislation enacted by the 111th Congress shall offer coverage for abortion services. For purposes of this section, “abortion” has the same meaning as defined in § 39-15-201.
Sounds fairly innocuous and possibly redundant – a little more grandstanding, a little more red meat for the base – until you actually read TCA § 39-15-201.
You see, according to the Tennessee Code Annotated, the law governing this little slice of creation, “abortion” is defined as
the administration to any woman pregnant with child, whether the child be quick or not, of any medicine, drug, or substance whatever, or the use or employment of any instrument, or other means whatever, with the intent to destroy the child, thereby destroying the child before the child’s birth
As Rep. Richardson points out in this video, the language is ambiguous enough that this bill could eliminate health insurance coverage for contraceptives.
Maybe access to affordable contraception is irrelevant or unimportant to the folks in power – the forced-birthers on the other side of the aisle, or the increasingly gray and overwhelmingly male Democrats on the Hill – but to me and to my husband, twenty-somethings trying to build our careers and pay down student loan debt before we grow our family? To thousands of Tennessee mothers and fathers trying to weather this recession and provide for the children already here? It is important to us and to them.
I’m keeping my eye on the Democrats who were willing to vote for this bill in hopes of scoring a few cheap points with the sorts of people who don’t vote for anyone with a D after their names, anyway — and you can count on other young voters doing so too.
Our lives, our futures, and our families are not political capital to be spent wantonly.
* Note that Rep. Judy Barker of Union City is the only woman, and Reps. Cobb, Ferguson, Fincher, and Litz are the only representatives voting yes who are under the age of 50.
faintgraylines
Language and Votes Matter
by faintgraylines | April 18th, 2010 | View Comments
Rep. Jeanne Richardson (D – Memphis) went to bat for Gen X and Millennial Tennesseans last week when Rep. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough)’s latest nullification/forced birth legislation was brought to the state House floor for a vote.
HB 2681 reads:
Sounds fairly innocuous and possibly redundant – a little more grandstanding, a little more red meat for the base – until you actually read TCA § 39-15-201.
You see, according to the Tennessee Code Annotated, the law governing this little slice of creation, “abortion” is defined as
As Rep. Richardson points out in this video, the language is ambiguous enough that this bill could eliminate health insurance coverage for contraceptives.
Maybe access to affordable contraception is irrelevant or unimportant to the folks in power – the forced-birthers on the other side of the aisle, or the increasingly gray and overwhelmingly male Democrats on the Hill – but to me and to my husband, twenty-somethings trying to build our careers and pay down student loan debt before we grow our family? To thousands of Tennessee mothers and fathers trying to weather this recession and provide for the children already here? It is important to us and to them.
I’m keeping my eye on the Democrats who were willing to vote for this bill in hopes of scoring a few cheap points with the sorts of people who don’t vote for anyone with a D after their names, anyway — and you can count on other young voters doing so too.
Our lives, our futures, and our families are not political capital to be spent wantonly.
(h/t to Speak to Power)
Democrats Who Voted for HB 2681*
Rep. Judy Barker
Rep. Eddie Bass
Rep. Ty Cobb
Rep. Charles Curtiss
Rep. John DeBerry
Rep. Dennis Ferguson
Rep. Henry Fincher
Rep. Craig Fitzhugh
Rep. George Fraley
Rep. Jim Hackworth
Rep. John Litz
Rep. Mark Maddox
Rep. Michael McDonald
Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh
Rep. Joe Pitts
Rep. David Shepard
Rep. Ben West
Rep. Les Winningham
Rep. Eddie Yokley
* Note that Rep. Judy Barker of Union City is the only woman, and Reps. Cobb, Ferguson, Fincher, and Litz are the only representatives voting yes who are under the age of 50.
Posted in Commentary | Tags: HCR, Jeanne Richardson, Matthew Hill, Tennessee