Thelma Harper (politician)

Thelma Harper (born December 2nd, 1940) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Tennessee Senate for the 19th district, which is composed of part of Davidson County. cite web | title="Tennessee Senate Member" | url=http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/senate/members/s19.htm | accessdate= September 10 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Education and career

Thelma Harper has served as a state senator since the 96th Tennessee General Assembly. She is the chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee and a member of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, the Senate Correction Oversight Committee, and the Select Joint Committee on Children and Youth.cite web | title="Tennessee Senate Member" | url=http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/senate/members/s19.htm | accessdate= September 10 | accessyear= 2007 ]

For eight years Thelma Harper served as a member of the Nashville/Davidson County Metropolitan Council. She was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992. She currently serves as a board member for the Nashville Downtown Partnership, an organization focused on the revitalization of downtown Nashville. She possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Tennessee State University.cite web | title="Tennessee Senate Member" | url=http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/senate/members/s19.htm | accessdate= September 10 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Political views and proposals

In 2004, when asked by "The Tennessean" whether the Tennessee state constitution should be changed to say the right to an abortion is not guaranteed, she replied that the issue should not be written into the state constitution. [cite news|title=Where senators stand on abortion, civil unions|date=March 31, 2004|url=http://www.tennessean.com/government/archives/04/04/49108920.shtml|publisher="The Tennessean"] Thelma Harper was one of only two state senators that did not vote for Tennessee not to recognize homosexual marriages, instead choosing to abstain. [cite news|first=Bonnie|last=de la Cruz|title=Frist stirs debate over gay marriage|date=July 1, 2003|url=http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/03/07/35281538.shtml?Element_ID=35281538|publisher="The Tennessean"] Thelma Harper proposed legislation that would rename U.S. Highway 41 as Rosa Parks Boulevard, [cite web | title="NewsChannel 5.com Nashville, Tennessee - Senator Proposes Another Name For Highway 41" | url=http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5741333 | accessdate= September 10 | accessyear= 2007 ] which was later successfully passed in both the House and the Senate. [cite news|first=Lee Ann|last=Overstreet|title=Street name change to honor Rosa Parks|date=August 15, 2007|url=http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070815/COUNTY0103/708150346/1195/COUNTY0103]

References