Tennessee Gov Wants Abortion Businesses to Close, Killing Babies is Not “Essential” Medical Care

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Mar 26, 2020   |   9:19AM   |   Nashville, Tennessee

Add Tennessee to the list of states where the governor has made it clear that abortion businesses must stop kiling babies in abortions because abortions are not “essential” medical care.

On Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued an order for all medical facilities to stop any non-essential medical care in order to preserve medical supplies to fight the coronavirus. Today, the governor said that order applies to abortion centers

“The executive order was certainly crafted in order to provide [personal protective equipment] for health care” professionals involved in the coronavirus response, as well as ensure resources were available for those suspected or already known to have the potentially deadly infection, he said.

“This would be like any other non-essential procedure,” Lee said regarding abortion. “It would be treated the same, and my expectation and belief and certainly my expectation is that no non-essential procedures would be performed in the state during the crisis and during this time we need all of those supplies to be used on the frontlines of protecting citizens.”

Earlier, Lee spokesman Gillum Ferguson said in a statement that “Gov. Lee believes elective abortions aren’t essential procedures, and given the state of [personal protective equipment] in Tennessee and across the country, his hope and expectation would be that those procedures not take place during this crisis.”

The Free Press reports that the state Attorney General is prepared to enforce the order, including ensuring that abortion businesses are not violating it by ending the lives of unborn children.

A spokeswoman for State Attorney General Herbet Slatery was quoted by The Associated Press saying Slatery is “ready to defend the actions of the executive branch in enforcing Executive Order 18.”

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Other states have also issued similar orders stating that abortions are more “essential” medical procedures.

As LifeNews reported, at least some Texas abortion businesses have closed temporarily or stopped doing abortions in response to an order from pro-life Governor Greg Abbott to halt all non-essential medical procedures to preserve medical resources to fight the coronavirus crisis. Other abortion centers are waiting to see what the legal options are in response and may be continuing to kill babies in abortions.

Abbott issued a new executive order prohibiting all non-essential medical procedures until the middle of April. The order says that, “beginning now and continuing until 11:59 p.m. on April 21, 2020, all licensed health care professionals and all licensed health care facilities shall postpone all surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary to correct a serious medical condition of, or to preserve the life of, a patient who without immediate performance of the surgery or procedure would be at risk for serious adverse medical consequences or death, as determined by the patient’s physician.”

Then, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton essentially closed down abortion businesses in the state and warned them that they are subject to a new executive order pro-life Governor Greg Abbott issued Sunday to end all non-essential surgical procedures. Since no abortions are essential, abortion centers essentially should close down.

“The truth is abortion, for the most part, is an elective procedure,” Paxton said.

Now Texas abortion businesses are retaliating with a lawsuit to attempt to keep killing babies. The order applies to abortions and failure to comply with the executive order could mean fines of up to $1,000 or 180 days in jail.

Leading pro-life groups told LifeNews.com they’re glad Texas is moving forward with the abortion ban so it can focus on protecting Texans from the coronavirus.

“The vast majority of abortions are elective procedures and despite calls on the national, state, and local level for all elective procedures to be postponed, abortion clinics are conducting business as usual,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “As hospitals struggle to provide care, find supplies to protect doctors, nurses, patients, and other hospital personnel, abortion clinics are endangering staff and patients in those same communities.”

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Tobias said hospitals and other primary care facilities are rightly focused on this medical emergency and Texas is right to have called for all elective surgeries to be rescheduled in order to ensure care for those in immediate need and to free up vital resources to treat those impacted by COVID-19.

Although the situation is fluid, here are the latest reports from LifeNews.com on the status of abortion and orders to stop non-essential medical services:

Texas: Abortion centers are temporarily closed after Governor Greg Abbott’s order. But Texas abortion businesses have sued the state to reopen.

Maryland: Abortion centers are included in the abortion order to close but whether they have officially closed is unknown.

Louisiana: Abortion centers are included in the order to close and all three have closed.

Ohio: Abortion centers are included in the order to close but they are refusing to close.

Mississippi: Abortion centers are included in the order and the state’s sole abortion business has closed.

Tennessee: Tennessee Governor Orders Abortion Businesses to Close, Killing Babies is Not “Essential” Medical Care

New Mexico: New Mexico Shuts Down Non-Essential Health Care, But Allows Abortion Clinics to Keep Killing Babies

New Jersey: Shut down non-essential health care but abortion centers are excluded.

Washington: Shut down non-essential health care but abortion centers are excluded.

California: Shut down non-essential health care but abortion centers are excluded.

Pennsylvania: Shut down non-essential health care but abortion centers are excluded.

Maine: Shut down non-essential health care but abortion centers are excluded.

Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico Shuts Down Pregnancy Center Over Coronavirus, Lets Abortion Clinics Stay Open

Massachusetts: Shut down non-essential health care but abortion centers are excluded.