Tennessee state Sen. Jim Tracy, R-ShelbyvilleNASHVILLE - State Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, is rejecting Democrats' assertions that politics are behind his legislation that would require women to undergo an ultrasound before proceeding with an abortion.
Tracy, an announced candidate in the 4th Congressional District 2014 Republican primary, said, "Let me just tell you where I am. My record is 100 percent pro-life. It has been the whole eight years I've been in the Senate, and that's what I believe. I believe that life begins at conception. And this is a life-changing decision a woman's going to make."
State House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner charged today that Tracy's legislation is aimed at putting U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., on the spot.
A physician, DesJarlais has been dogged by a series of revelations including that in 2000 he urged a patient with whom he had an affair to get an abortion.
"This is nothing other than the fact that Jim Tracy is trying to get elected to Congress," said Turner, who added the bill is an unwarranted intrusion into a woman's decision. "DesJarlais' got a problem in this area. That's what this is about."