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Tennessee lawmakers float abortion amendment that would charge mothers with homicide
The amendment would classify abortion as fetal homicide with penalties including life imprisonment and the death penalty, removing protections for out-of-state and medication abortions.
- 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.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Once sacred, America's most treasured word now rings hollow
Tennessee Republican State Rep. Monty Fritts, who’s eyeing running for Governor, has proposed legislation that would put women in that state who’ve had abortions in the electric chair. Republican policy has already killed hundreds of pregnant women: those who live in a red state with an abortion ban (almost all of them) are more than twice as likely to die during pregnancy or immediately after childbirth than women who live in states that allow …
Tennessee lawmakers float abortion amendment that would charge mothers with homicide
Two Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are floating an amendment to an abortion bill that would bring homicide charges against expecting mothers who choose to terminate their pregnancies. The GOP sponsors, state Rep. Jody Barrett (Dickson) and state Sen. Mark Pody (Lebanon), have not formally filed the amendment to House Bill 570/Senate Bill 738, according to…
Tennessee Republican won’t run anti-abortion bill
Sen. Mark Pody, a Lebanon Republican, will not bring a bill for a vote that would criminalize women getting abortions. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)Tennessee Sen. Mark Pody said Tuesday he is dropping a bill that would criminalize women for seeking abortion procedures, potentially allowing them to be charged with murder. Pody, a Lebanon Republican, said he can’t run the measure because of the amendment tacked onto it by state Rep. Jo…
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…
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