Voters in Tennessee approved the state’s Constitutional Amendment 1: According to unofficial election results, a narrow 53 percent of voters approved Tennessee’s personhood amendment Tuesday night.
The measure states, “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.” It will allow the legislature “unlimited authority to pass burdensome and unnecessary restrictions and regulations on abortion, including banning all abortions,” according to Planned Parenthood, including in the case of pregnancy from rape, or incest, or when an abortion is necessary to protect the mother’s health.
According to Mother Jones, Tennessee Republicans have been trying to put this referendum before voters since 2000, when a state Supreme Court decision blocked several harsh anti-abortion measures from becoming law. The ruling, which struck down several anti-abortion laws passed in 1998, has prevented the Legislature from passing certain strict laws enacted in other states, such as a mandatory abortion waiting period.…
Amendment 1 would overturn that court decision. ‘It will basically just open the floodgates for the General Assembly to pass any kind of restriction if the amendment passes,’ says Jeff Teague, the president of Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee.
Voters in Colorado and North Dakota did not pass their personhood ballot measures.
Rachel Maddow discusses personhood.
OK, Fine. 