State Amendments Up For Vote On Ballot
Early voting begins today. Besides being the general election for federal, state and city there are also constitutional amendments on the ballot this election….four amendments to the state of Tenneee’s constitution.
The first amemdment deals with enshrining Tennessee’s right to work status into the state’s constitution. The right to work police basically states that a person cannot be denied employment because of the person’s membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor union or employee organization.
The second amendment on the ballot would provide a process for the temporary exercise of the powers and duties of the governor by the Speaker of the Senate——when the governor is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor. That power would go to the Speaker of the House if there is no Speaker of the Senate in office.
The third amendment would change the current language in article I, section 33 of the Tennessee Constitution, which says that slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a person who has been duly convicted of crime, are forever prohibited in this State. The amendment would delete this current language and replace it with the following language: “Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.”
Amendment number four would delete article IX, section 1 of the Tennessee Constitution, which prohibits ministers of the gospel and priests of any denomination from holding a seat in either House of the state legislature.
All of those amendments will have a yes or no choice. A yes vote would be for the amendment to be added a no vote would be if you do NOT want those amendments added to the state of Tennessee’s constitution.