Commentary

life

In our blog, read about the political and cultural issues affecting Tennesseans written from a conservative perspective. Commentaries are typically written by David Fowler, an attorney who served in the Tennessee state Senate for 12 years before joining FACT as President.

Let the Rule of Law Life Act Replace the ‘Heartbeat’ Bill

Let the Rule of Law Life Act Replace the ‘Heartbeat’ Bill

Nov 15, 2019 by David Fowler

At the conclusion of two days of testimony in August before the Judiciary Committee of the Tennessee Senate on Senate Bill 1236, known as the “heartbeat bill,” I was asked by the committee’s vice chair, Senator Jon Lundberg, to rewo...
Abortion Trial Over TN Law Shows Why Roe v. Wade Hasn't Been Overturned

Abortion Trial Over TN Law Shows Why Roe v. Wade Hasn't Been Overturned

Sep 27, 2019 by David Fowler

This week, a federal district court judge began listening to testimony in regard to a lawsuit brought by various abortion clinics in Tennessee against a state law that requires a 48-hour waiting period between a woman’s first appointment with a...
The Party of Lincoln (in TN) Acted Like It on Saturday

The Party of Lincoln (in TN) Acted Like It on Saturday

Aug 30, 2019 by David Fowler

We are in a period of American history eerily similar to the one faced by President Abraham Lincoln when he was first elected. Lincoln said what needed to be said about the U.S. Supreme Court, and this past Saturday, the executive committee of the Te...
The Fundamental Abortion Question Isn’t What You Think

The Fundamental Abortion Question Isn’t What You Think

Aug 23, 2019 by David Fowler

I have listened again to all the legal testimony presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee in connection with the overhauled version of the “heartbeat” bill. There is a sense in which the fundamental issue isn’t whether one believ...
The Elephant in the (Abortion Hearing) Room

The Elephant in the (Abortion Hearing) Room

Aug 16, 2019 by David Fowler

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s two-day hearings were the best and most significant hearings I’ve been part of in my more than twenty-five years in state politics. Many statements from pro-life and pro-choice witnesses against the bill d...
Shining the Light on Roe v. Wade and the ‘Heartbeat’ Bill Controversy

Shining the Light on Roe v. Wade and the ‘Heartbeat’ Bill Controversy

Aug 9, 2019 by David Fowler

Next Monday and Tuesday the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear lawyers wrangle over the constitutional defensibility of a so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill. The version of the bill passed by the House is a ‘heartbeat’ bill. C...
Is the Stare Decisis Really the Obstacle to Reversing Roe v. Wade?

Is the Stare Decisis Really the Obstacle to Reversing Roe v. Wade?

Jun 28, 2019 by David Fowler

Two United States Supreme Court decisions from last week bode well for the possibility the abortion precedents of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey could be overturned. They underscore why I believe a well-drawn and supported “fetal h...
‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bill Suffered from ‘Congenital’ Defects

‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bill Suffered from ‘Congenital’ Defects

Apr 26, 2019 by David Fowler

Monday night, the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill was put on life support and transferred to a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee this summer. There’s much not to like about what happened on this bill, particularly some of t...
Oath-Keeping in the State Senate at Eastertime

Oath-Keeping in the State Senate at Eastertime

Apr 19, 2019 by David Fowler

Most Christians will celebrate Easter this Sunday and on Monday, the Tennessee Senate will vote on a motion that would pull the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill out of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee to the floor of the Senate for ...
Pointing Fingers and Placing Blame on the ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bill

Pointing Fingers and Placing Blame on the ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bill

Apr 12, 2019 by David Fowler

I met with mixed emotions the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote late Tuesday to defer a vote on the pro-life “fetal heartbeat” bill until more testimony could be provided during a summer hearing, after which the bill could be taken ...

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