Tennessee Governor Announces “Heartbeat” Bill to Restrict Abortions

An “enhanced” heartbeat bill was recently proposed by Gov. Bill Lee. The bill aims to “block women from getting an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected,” as reported by Fox News. This usually occurs about six weeks into a pregnancy before many women know they are pregnant.

According to Lee, the bill was “a monumental step forward in celebrating, cherishing and defending life.” Fox News explains that the bill “likely will not include exceptions for rape and incest and will require the mother to be shown an ultrasound of the fetus before they are able to receive an abortion.” Lee added that physicians would not be able to perform an abortion if they are aware that it is “motivated by sex, race or disability diagnosis of the child.”

Republican state Senate Speaker Randy McNally believes that “the bill will survive.” “I believe it will have what’s called the ladder provision in it, that if the heartbeat gets struck down, then there would be a ban at eight weeks and then 10 weeks and on up,” McNally said.

On the other hand, abortion rights activists criticized the bill to be “blatantly unconstitutional” and “a power grab over our bodies.”

Francie Hunt with Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood said that “it just demonstrates a lack of compassion and understanding for what families have to go through and the decisions they have to make to take care of their families and to take the planning of their parenthood very seriously.”