The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
A Tennessee abortion clinic that made its way across state lines to Virginia after the overturning of Roe v. Wade is now receiving backlash. Elected leaders in Bristol, Virginia are now pushing a zoning law that would prohibit new abortion clinics within city limits.
The City Council of Bristol voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of the resolution to ban any facility that “intentionally causes the death or termination of a pre-born human life at any stage of development.”
The resolution must go through several additional steps before becoming a law. The resolution will also stop existing clinics from expanding or undergoing renovations.
Bristol’s effort to restrict abortion clinics is among the first of many local governments in Virginia, where abortion remains legal, since the overturning the federal right to an abortion by the Supreme Court. Tazewell and Russell, two other cities in Virginia have also created resolutions declaring themselves as “sanctuary for the rights of the unborn.” There are no existing abortion clinics in those cities.
Bristol’s vote on Tuesday was in direct response to the Bristol Women’s Health Center that opened in July. The center had been open in Bristol, Tennessee for more than 30 years, but recently moved across state lines to continue to provide services to patients in the Appalachian region.
Bristol Councilmember Kevin Wingard called the zoning measure “the most important issue” to ever come upon city leaders. He believes the city has the legal authority to prevent abortion clinics from coming to town.
“The state does not dictate what every local district does,” Wingard said. “City Council has full authority to stop other abortion clinics from coming here.”
With the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s health Organization, states now have the authority to regulate or restrict abortion rights.
The Virginia-based Family Foundation, which has been a long time advocate against abortions said in its statement that “Bristol, Virginia has been a ‘good place to live’ and residents imply want to ensure that it remains so, for both born and unborn community members.”
The text of the proposed Bristol Virginia resolution is as follows:
No land, building, structure or other premises located within any zoning district of the City of Bristol may be used to carry out any practice, process, or procedure that is designed to intentionally cause the death or termination of a pre-born human life at any stage of development. The already existing use of any buildings or structures for such purposes must conform to this regulation whenever they are enlarged, extended, reconstructed, or structurally altered, and any nonconforming building or structure may not be moved on the same lot or to any other lot in order to carry out the nonconforming use.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
