The most recent installment of Vanderbilt University’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions twice-yearly poll found that Tennesseans’ support of abortion exceptions is growing, while their trust in vaccines is waning.
The number of people who consider themselves “definitely” or “somewhat” pro-choice has grown over the past 10 years. The Vanderbilt Poll, undertaken with 1,003 respondents statewide in April and May, found 52 percent identified as such, an increase from 48 percent in May 2022 and 45 percent in May 2014.
John Geer
During the 2024 legislative session, Democrats introduced symbolic legislation to repeal the state’s abortion ban and make the procedure legal. Sen. Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) said he would introduce legislation to allow for abortions in cases of fatal fetal anomalies, but that legislation never came to fruition. Legislation to allow for abortions in cases of rape or incest or for children ages 13 and younger also died.
While the percentage of people who at least somewhat identify with the term “pro-choice” is growing, views on the issue are still split along party lines. Among Democrats, 93 percent are pro-choice, while independents stand at 54 percent. A significant majority of non-MAGA Republicans (69 percent) and MAGA Republicans (78 percent) view themselves as pro-life.
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“Republicans remain very much pro-life,” says John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll. “But we do see a slight shift across the state to a pro-choice stance, which likely is a reaction to the Dobbs decision in 2022. Many Tennesseans considered themselves pro-life until the Dobbs case overturned Roe v. Wade.”
Notably, 45 percent of female respondents identified as “definitely pro-choice,” while only 30 percent of male respondents ticked that box. Among females, 12 percent identified as “somewhat pro-choice,” compared to 16 percent of males; 10 percent of females chose “somewhat pro-life,” compared to 17 percent of males; and 31 percent of females chose “definitely pro-life,” compared to 35 percent of males.
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IVF (in vitro fertilization) protections failed to gain traction in the state legislature this year. The issue was brought up after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, after three couples who saw their embryos destroyed brought a wrongful death case against a fertility clinic. The Alabama legislature passed a bill to protect IVF providers from civil and criminal liability for embryo loss or damage during IVF treatments.
However, 82 percent of poll respondents said IVF should be legal, and a combined 90 percent said it is not a moral issue or is morally acceptable; 10 percent of all respondents said the practice is morally wrong. MAGA Republicans had an outsized response, with 19 percent saying IVF is morally wrong.
Regarding vaccines, poll participants were asked: “How likely, if at all, are you personally to get a vaccine for potentially serious illnesses? This includes vaccines for infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, shingles, etc., as well as diseases that are more common outside of the United States, such as malaria.”
There were stark differences among respondents based on party identification. Approximately 75 percent of Democrats, or those who lean Democrat, said they are “extremely or very likely” to get a vaccination for a potentially serious illness, with 42 percent of non-MAGA Republicans and 27 percent of MAGA Republicans choosing “extremely or very likely.”
The difference is even more stark when asked about “medically recommended vaccines of any sort.” Just 11 percent of MAGA Republicans said they would be extremely or very likely to get such a vaccine, along with 23 percent of non-MAGA Republicans and 73 percent of Democrats.
Vaccine hesitation is a theme that physicians say remains since the COVID-19 pandemic and is seeping into child vaccination rates, which have plummeted over the past 10 years. This year, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that prohibits the Department of Children’s Services from requiring an immunization for foster parents. Before this change, families had to be vaccinated against the flu and whooping cough in an effort to protect medically fragile children and infants.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
