Nashville Metro Council is proceeding with legislation prohibiting the use of license plate scanner (LPR) technology to aid in the enforcement of “laws outlawing abortion or outlawing interstate travel to obtain an abortion as an allowed use of LPRs.”
On Tuesday, August 16, Metro Council will consider BL2022-1385, a bill on second reading that is an “ordinance amending Section 13.08.080 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws pertaining to the use of license plate scanner technology to exclude assisting with enforcing laws outlawing abortion or outlawing interstate travel to obtain an abortion as an allowed use of LPRs.”
The legislation is sponsored by councilmembers Bob Mendes, Colby Sledge, Brett Withers, Freddie O’Connell, Gloria Hausser, Nancy VanReece, Sandra Sepulveda, Emily Benedict, and Ginny Welsch.
The bill says in part, “WHEREAS, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States announced its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, No. 19-1392, 142 S.Ct. 2228, a landmark decision in which the court held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer any right to abortion, overruling nearly 50 years of legal precedent established under Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.”
It then affirms Nashville Metro Council’s support for abortion.
“WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council supports the right to abortion access previously established under Roe v. Wade and finds that restrictions upon reproductive rights and private healthcare decisions threaten the safety and well-being of the residents of Nashville and Davidson County, particularly for women unable to travel to neighboring jurisdictions where abortion care is safe and legal,” says part of the legislation.
It additionally notes that Section 13.08.080 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, which provides for the current LPR law does not mention use of the technology for assisting with any enforcement of laws that prohibit or restrict abortion.
The bill goes on to say the following:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That G(1)(a)(ii) of Section 13.08.080 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws is hereby amended by adding a new subpart at the end of the part as follows:
( ) the enforcement of any law prohibiting, limiting, or criminalizing reproductive healthcare, including an abortion, or prohibiting, limiting, or criminalizing interstate travel for the purpose of obtaining reproductive healthcare, including an abortion.
Section 2. Be it further enacted that this ordinance take effect immediately after its passage, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.
Council staff added a note in the bill analysis that says, “This ordinance amends Metropolitan Code of Laws Section 13.08.080.G(1)(a)(ii) to add a new subsection prohibiting the use of license plate scanner technology for assisting with enforcing laws outlawing abortion or outlawing interstate travel to obtain an abortion. The Metropolitan Code of Laws has provisions governing what LPR may be used for and prohibited uses for LPR. This ordinance would add ‘the enforcement of any laws prohibiting, limiting, or criminalizing reproductive healthcare, including an abortion, or prohibiting, limiting, or criminalizing interstate travel for the purpose of obtaining reproductive healthcare, including an abortion’ to the prohibited uses of LPR.”
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Automated License Plate Reader Surveillance Cameras” by Tony Webster. CC BY 2.0.
