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Abortion Is a Felony in TN. Why Are Lawmakers Calling to Abolish It?
The bill removes legal protections for pregnant women and allows prosecutors to seek life imprisonment or the death penalty for abortion, backed by Tennessee Republicans and advocacy groups.
- On Monday, Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, and Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, circulated a draft amendment to HB 570/SB 738 that would classify abortion as homicide and allow first-degree murder charges, including death-penalty eligibility, and the measure is under review by the House Population Health Subcommittee.
- Backers say the amendment aims to extend "equal protection" to preborn children by applying Tennessee criminal law to embryos and fetuses, supported by the Foundation to Abolish Abortion and Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley amid a national wave involving at least 12 states this year.
- Specific provisions narrow the exceptions to spontaneous miscarriage and life-saving procedures, while state law criminalizes doctors performing abortions as a Class C felony and imposes $50,000 fines for telehealth medication distribution.
- Critics immediately denounced the bill, with Jon Tate calling it `Disgusting` and Jessica Valenti saying `Saying that women should be punished for having abortions was once... an unthinkable thing to say within the anti-abortion movement.`
- Next week the amendment could be introduced to the House Population Health Subcommittee while unclear rules about interstate travel for abortion persist, fitting a national pattern with 849 bills tracked this year and Foundation to Abolish Abortion backing similar measures.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Tennessee bill could make women eligible for murder charges or the death penalty in abortion cases
An amendment to a Tennessee bill would treat abortion as criminal homicide, potentially making women eligible for felonies or, in extreme cases, the death penalty. Democrats call the idea "scary."
Some Republican lawmakers want greater penalties for performing abortions in Tennessee
Two Republican lawmakers want to up the penalties for performing abortions in Tennessee. Their bill would classify abortion as homicide of an unborn child. That means doctors could face criminal charges if they assist. And women could face the death penalty for having an abortion. The new law would not impact past abortions. The bill hasn’t been formally introduced to the legislature yet. And the Senate sponsor admits it is not getting much back…
Murder charges for abortion in Tennessee? A look at what other state laws say
Legislation in Tennessee is drawing sharp criticism for imposing the harshest punishment in the nation for an abortion. The state is one of at least 12 this year to address abortion access through legislation or ballot measures. Tennessee state Rep. Jody Barrett and Sen. Mark Pody, both Republicans, drafted bills in their respective chambers to classify an abortion as first-degree murder, which is death penalty-eligible in the state. The bills h…
The Commercial Appeal
The TennesseanAbortion is a felony in TN. Why are lawmakers calling to abolish it?
Tennessee has long punished doctors for performing abortions. Lawmakers have historically shied away from policies that punish women seeking them.
Republican Lawmakers' Bid to Execute Tennessee Abortion Patients Slammed as 'Christofascism'
"This is about the future of the anti-abortion movement in the Republican Party and the way that they are embracing extremism at a rate that is so fucking alarming," said one critic.
Tennessee bill would expand criminal protections to fetuses, punish abortion like murder
New, proposed legislation in Tennessee would expand "equal protections" to fetuses, and require those who get abortions to face the same punishments as those who commit homicide.
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