Image Credit: TN General Assembly & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Representative Esther Helton-Haynes (R-East Ridge-District 30) and Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville-District 7) have partnered to sponsor legislation that would create more exceptions for abortions in Tennessee, directly conflicting with existing pro-life law.
HB1241/SB1425 would allow physicians to perform abortions involving “lethal fetal anomalies” and would remove liability from committing “the offense of criminal abortion” for these practitioners.
The bill’s language defines these anomalies to mean a fetal condition diagnosed before the 24th week of pregnancy that would make the fetus, “A) Incompatible with life outside the womb, B) Will not improve with medical intervention, and C) Will result in the death of the fetus upon birth or imminently thereafter.” There are no examples given of ailments which would meet these criteria.
It also includes abortion allowances for such “conditions” that could cause “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” to the mother like preeclampsia (high blood pressure which is monitored throughout the pregnancy and typically resolves after birth), an inevitable abortion (a misleading term for an unavoidable miscarriage), and diabetes.
Currently, Tennessee law prohibits abortion through the Human Life Protection Act of 2022, with exception only if there is significant “threat” to the mother’s life. There is also ambiguity when it comes to accessibility of mail-order abortion pills from out of state. According to the American Association of Pro Life OBGYNs, (AAPLOG) mail-order abortion now comprises 10% of all abortions nationwide.
Rep. Gino Bulso’s (R-Brentwood-District 61) Unborn Child Protection Act (HB0026) would prohibit the mailing of chemical abortion pills and create pathways for civil action to address this loophole, but it has thus far been stalled in the committee process.
HB1241/SB1425 has picked up two Democrat co-sponsors (one Rep. and one Senator) and one Republican, Rep. Mark White (Memphis-District 83), and is supported by The Tennessee Medical Association, per The Tennessee Lookout.
Briggs believes the Human Life Protection Act to be so “flawed” that the entire law could be struck down in court. “I want to redefine abortion and redefine medically necessary termination of pregnancies,” he said.
There are also several additional bills sponsored by Democrats attempting to reverse abortion policies and protections for unborn children working through the General Assembly this session, all of which would undermine or abolish pro-life provisions of Tennessee law and even seek to codify abortion as a “fundamental right”.
According to Tennessee Right to Life’s most recent action alert:
– HB0027 “would completely erase nearly every pro-life provision in Tennessee law.”
– HB1105 would create “an exception in the Human Life Protection Act for children conceived in assault. Furthermore, since there is no gestational limit in the proposal, it would allow these children to be aborted up until the day of birth.”
– HB1217 would, “severely weaken Tennessee law by allowing any unborn child to be aborted before viability. It would also put into Tennessee law that abortion is a fundamental right.”
All three are set to be heard before the House Population Health Subcommittee on Tuesday, March 11, at 12 PM.
HB1241/SB1425 has also been assigned to the House Population Health Subcommittee and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, though there is no calendar date set for either committee as of this writing.
Tennessee Right to Life noted that the House Population Health Subcommittee has indicated the 3/11/25 meeting will be their last “normally scheduled” committee meeting, but this does not prevent the subcommittee from calling a special meeting before session has concluded.
This means HB1241 could still be heard in the subcommittee and ultimately by the Assembly at large, potentially erasing some of Tennessee’s hard-won victories protecting unborn children should the legislature pass the bill.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Since 1975 there have been 30 million abortions and 90% were to unwed poor young girls on welfare. Those kids would have grown up to be Dems and the Dems would have total control.
I’ll oppose anyone who proposes a law that bans abortions for rape or incest. Doing that would be evil. EVIL!!!
What’s next? Banning birth control? (birth control prevents conception). A law to protect “sperm”? Sperm is alive – look at it under a magnifying glass.
If the Repubs become extremists they will lose votes. I’m old and remember the arguments. Roe was a compromise. Overturning Roe is why we lost in 2022. Look at the harm it caused America because we lost in 2022. Look in the New Testament and Jesus’ teachings – no mention of abortion.