By AP
Nashville, TN – Tennessee lawmakers have passed a resolution to urge rejection of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. The measure sponsored by Republican Senator Tim Burchett passed on a 26-3 vote Monday. The House version passed on a 70-20 vote last year.
The U.N. convention was adopted in 1989 and has been ratified by every country except the United States and Somalia. It calls on nations to protect children from abuse and sexual exploitation, reduce child mortality and give children access to health care and education.
President Bill Clinton's administration signed the convention but never submitted it to the U.S. Senate for ratification because of claims that it infringed on the rights of parents and was inconsistent with state and local laws.