Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a pro-life law Friday that makes it abundantly clear that the state abortion ban does not stop doctors from providing medical care to pregnant mothers.
Although Lee and others have said the abortion ban already had a clear exception to protect mothers’ lives, abortion activists’ lies about pro-life laws are still prevalent, resulting in unnecessary fear and confusion among doctors.
So Tennessee lawmakers passed state House Bill 883 this spring to clarify that doctors can use their “good faith medical judgment” about when to act to protect a pregnant mother’s life or prevent a major injury even if the treatment results in the unintentional death of her unborn baby, the AP reports. The new law also clearly states that medical care for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages is allowed.
The new pro-life legislation still ensures unborn babies are protected from abortion, too. Another state law banning elective abortions in Tennessee went into effect last summer after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of babies’ lives already have been saved.
In a statement Friday, Lee said he was “happy to work with the General Assembly to provide even greater clarity in Tennessee law to protect mothers and children.”
But even the clarifications did not satisfy abortion activists who really just want killing unborn babies in abortions to be legal for any reason again in Tennessee. As the AP noted, “… even under the new exemption, Democratic lawmakers, reproductive rights activists and health care officials have warned that what Republican leaders came up still didn’t go far enough.”
Click Like if you are pro-life to like the LifeNews Facebook page!
They wanted exceptions that would have allowed unborn babies to be aborted for elective reasons, including eugenic abortions on unborn babies with disabilities.
Neither the Tennessee abortion ban nor any other pro-life law prohibits or limits medical care for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies or other medical problems during pregnancy. They ban the elective and unnecessary killing of unborn babies in abortions.
The pro-abortion movement claims otherwise, spreading lies and causing unnecessary fear among women who think pro-life laws endanger their lives. In December, a mother from the Nashville area told WLPN that she and her husband decided to quit trying for a fourth child out of fear that she might have to travel to another state for medical care if she suffers another miscarriage.
But her anger and fears are misplaced, and abortion activists are to blame. Lies and misleading information about pro-life laws have become prevalent on social media and in mainstream news outlets. Celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and politicians like Stacey Abrams also have promoted the misinformation.
Many doctors have been working to correct the lies, saying it’s causing unnecessary fear and danger for women. In a recent interview with The Spectator, several doctors said the lies about pro-life laws are what really are putting women’s lives at risk. They accused some of their abortion-supporting colleagues of putting politics ahead of their patients.
A fact check from the Charlotte Lozier Institute came to the same conclusions, with researchers pointing out that pro-life laws protect both mom and baby.
Dr. Ingrid Skop and Mary E. Harned, J.D. of the Charlotte Lozier Institute conducted extensive research into the issue, including analyses of state pro-life laws, abortion, and miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy care. They found that all state pro-life laws permit “abortion in those rare and heartbreaking circumstances when it is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman,” including for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies.
“A plain reading of any of these statutes easily refutes the false and dangerous misinformation being spread by pro-abortion activists,” they wrote.
Tennessee is one of 15 states that protects unborn babies by banning abortions, and more states are trying to do the same through legislation and court battles.
Pro-life states also are working to expand resources for pregnant and parenting mothers, including increasing funding for pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes, expanding Medicaid and workplace accommodations for pregnant and parenting employees, and creating tax credits and other measures that recognize unborn babies as valuable individuals.
