Tennessee: 48-Hour Waiting Period Takes Effect Today, Will Save Babies From Abortion

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 1, 2015   |   10:03AM   |   Washington, DC

The new pro-life law Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed that would put a 48-hour waiting period in place before an abortion can be done will take effect today and will ultimately save babies from abortion.

Here’s more on what’s happening:

The abortion measure affects all seven of the state’s abortion clinics. Another law will require abortion facilities performing more than 50 abortions a year be held to the same health and safety standards as other outpatient surgical facilities.

“Tennesseans have spoken in favor of protections for abortion-vulnerable women, girls and unborn children,” said Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life. “Tennesseans rightly expect that commonsense provisions such as informed consent and waiting periods will be enforced in our state.”

Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, said her group opposes the abortion laws because “they interfere with a woman’s ability to make personal, private health care decisions.”

After he signed the bill into law, Tennessee Right to Life applauded the governor for signing the pro-life bill that will help reduce the umber of abortions in the Volunteer State.

“Women and girls considering abortion in our state deserve relevant details and adequate time to make fully-informed decisions about the fate of their unborn child,” said Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life. “We are grateful to the voters who approved Amendment 1 and to the public officials who have fulfilled their commitment to restore common-sense protections for women, girls and unborn children in our state.”

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“Now women and girls will be assured of additional information and adequate time to ensure that their decision is fully informed,” said Harris.  “Women will be empowered and lives will be saved as a result of these common-sense safeguards.”

When passed in other states, such bills have successfully cut the number of abortions by helping pregnant women find alternatives.

HB 0977 requiring informed consent and 48 hour waiting period was passed 79 – 18 and 27 – 5 in the Senate.

Harris said the bills comes largely in response to voter passage of Amendment 1 last November which allows the people and elected officials more leeway in the regulation of abortion facilities in Tennessee.  Weaker abortion laws in Tennessee have contributed to large numbers of out-of-state women seeking to terminate pregnancies which, according to the Centers for Disease Control,  has resulted in Tennessee becoming an abortion destination in which of 1 of 4 abortions was sought by a woman or girl from another state.

ACTION: Thank Governor Haslam by going here.

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