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Democratic Sen. Steen Miles introduced a resolution recognizing the two-time Academy Award-winning actress for her efforts to help women and children globally, particularly her work as the founder and chairwoman of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention.

Senate Resolution 1189 seemed to breeze through the Senate without a raising an eyebrow — as do hundreds of honorary and commemorative resolutions each year. There’s no vote on these types of quick resolutions, and lawmakers very rarely object to them.

But Sen. John Douglas, a retired Army major and Republican chairman of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, stood as the Senate was adjourning and briefly voiced his strong opposition to the resolution.
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WHEREAS, Ms. Jane Fonda, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, has touched countless lives with her compassion, generosity, and commitment to making the world a better place for generations to come; and
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WHEREAS, today, Ms. Fonda devotes her time and talents to working for social change and is especially passionate about improving the lives of women and girls; and

WHEREAS, she is the founder and chairwoman of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP), a state-wide effort to reduce the rates of teenage pregnancies in Georgia through community, youth, and family development, sustainable economic growth, and legislative advocacy; and

WHEREAS, her tremendous generosity has resulted in the Jane Fonda Center for Adolescent Reproductive Health at the Emory School of Medicine and has endowed the Marion Howard Chair in Adolescent Reproductive Health in the school’s Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics; and

WHEREAS, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund, Ms. Fonda has diligently worked to forge a better future for women across the globe, and in 2000 traveled to Nigeria to produce a film in partnership with the International Women’s Health Coalition, entitled “Generation 2000: Changing Girls’ Realities”; and
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WHEREAS, Georgia is very fortunate to be the home of such an extraordinary lady.
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Adolescent sexuality education should instill a strong sense of self-worth and be delivered by parents at home and other adults in school and community settings. Abstinence education is important, but by 12th grade 62% of all students have had sex and more than 3 out of 10 girls get pregnant at least once as a teen. Research suggests that helping adolescents postpone sex while equipping sexually active youth with medical information and contraception on a confidential basis is the best strategy to reduce pregnancy, abortion, STDs and HIV/AIDS.
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Alongside our community-based work, statewide advocacy is a central part of what we do. We are a campaign after all. You can be doing extraordinary work at the community level and then look over your shoulder one day to find that a minor?s right to confidential access to clinics or comprehensive sexuality education or funding for after school programs have been taken away. Voter education and mobilization is critical to countering the efforts of those who think the “just say no” message is effective for all adolescents. On a proactive level, G-CAPP hopes to institutionalize through policy the models that have proven effective in the field.
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Resident Educational Series

Resident Educational Sessions, Wednesdays, Grady Campus:

Minors’ Rights for Access to Reproductive Health
March 22, 2006, 9:30 am – 12:00 Noon
location: Faculty Office Building, Rm 123, Grady Campus,
49 Jesse Hill, Jr., Drive, SE, Atlanta, GA 30303.

ATLANTA (AP) — The sponsor of an effort to honor Jane Fonda in the state Senate withdrew her resolution Thursday, after a rocky reception from some colleagues and a phone call from the actress’ office.

Sen. Steen Miles, D-Decatur, said a representative for Fonda, who is out of the country, asked that she avoid the controversy the effort had stirred.
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The Senate voted 48-1 to reconsider the measure — a necessary procedure before Miles could withdraw it. Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen, D-Albany, cast the only vote against reconsideration.
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The Democratic sponsor had tried to withdraw the resolution after a rocky reception from colleagues and a phone call from Fonda’s office, but a Republican leader forced a vote, saying members of his caucus wanted to go on record against it.
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The effort was defeated 38-1, with even Miles voting against it.
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“I can think of no living American who is less worthy of this honor,” Republican Sen. John Douglas declared. “She is as guilty of treason as Benedict Arnold and Tokyo Rose.”
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The second measure would allow pharmacists to opt out of filling prescriptions for drugs designed to end pregnancies if they object on moral or religious grounds. They would have to file a written statement to take advantage of the offer.
While the bill didn?t stir any vocal opposition, senators defeated an amendment that would have extended the provision to sexual performance enhancement drugs like Viagra.
Sen. Steen Miles, D-Decatur, said the drugs have caused heart attacks in some men and that pharmacists should have the right to object not just to certain drugs for women but to drugs that are for men.
?What is good for the goose is certainly good for the gander,?? she said.
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