The opening of a controversial new women’s health clinic in Mt. Juliet, which offers abortion services, resulted in a special Sunday night meeting of the City Commission and a new zoning restriction that will block the clinic from operating at its current location. 
The Carafem clinic opened on Friday and community outrage was swift. Carafem is a nonprofit women’s health organization not affiliated with or connected to Planned Parenthood. It has other clinics located in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, according to the company.
The action to amend the existing Mt. Juliet zoning ordinance-land development code concerning “professional ambulatory surgical treatment centers” passed by unanimous vote after strong opposition from the public, local pastors, and other community leaders demanding immediate action by the City (see map, right). Global Vision Bible Church Pastor Greg Locke and Tennessee Pastors Network President Dale Walker were among Tennessee pastors leading the fight against the clinic being allowed to offer abortions in Mt. Juliet. Debate over the ordinance drew a capacity crowd inside with dozens outside the meeting who were unable to get inside the Commission meeting.
“This is a tremendous victory for the local community and for those of us committed to protecting unborn life,” Walker said. “While New York and other states are promoting partial birth abortion, and the Governor of Virginia and Democrats in the U.S. Senate advocate for infanticide after babies are born, I am proud of Mt. Juliet standing up to protect unborn babies.”
“The pro-abortionists have overplayed their hand as they promote partial birth and now after-birth abortion on demand,” Locke noted. “The extremists are waking the sleeping giant of the American people by clarifying how radical the abortion activists actually are. I couldn’t be more proud of my community and their immediate response to this vile intrusion into our city.”
Mt. Juliet Commissioner Ray Justice pointed out during debate over the ordinance and the likelihood that litigation may result from the passage that some may ask whether this is the “hill you are willing to die on? And the answer is an emphatic YES!”
Planned Parenthood is planning to resume providing abortion services in Nashville as early as this week. Approximately 8,600 abortions were performed in Tennessee in 2017, according to the Tennessee Department of Health Services.
Read the full ordinance:
[pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-03-03-Board-of-Commissioners-Full-Agenda-1575.pdf” title=”2019-03-03 Board of Commissioners – Full Agenda-1575″]
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Photos courtesy of Red Nation Rising TN.
