Governor touts public funding for controversial pregnancy centers

Gov. Bill Lee gave $180,000 taxpayer dollars to buy seven ultrasound machines for anti-abortion clinics across the state last year. This week, the governor said he wants to continue using public dollars to fund what are called crisis pregnancy centers, which counsel people against abortions.

Lee visited Portico on Wednesday, a Murfreesboro clinic that offers pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. They do not provide abortions, but on their website, they claim to offer information about it. The governor says he wants to support their mission.

“I think anytime we can improve access and information for women, and we can provide services for children we’re going to keep investing in that,” Lee said.

But critics, like Planned Parenthood of Tennessee, say these clinics aren’t helping pregnant people get the help they need. Ashley Coffield is the group’s CEO.

“Crisis pregnancy centers give people inaccurate, biased and even false information in an attempt to either scare or shame them out of having an abortion,” Coffield said.

In Tennessee, a person seeking an abortion must wait 48 hours after receiving state-directed counseling. That includes information that includes alternatives to terminating the pregnancy. And if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, abortion in Tennessee would be banned.

Tennessee’s latest abortion law would block the procedure after the gestational age, around six weeks. It’s currently tied up in court.

Last month, someone set fire to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Knoxville. Investigators are still looking for suspects. Reproductive rights activists worry that Tennessee’s laws are enabling more extreme behavior.

In response to a question about the arson during his visit, Lee denounced criminal activity.

“Regardless of the cause or who does it, we want to make sure that we don’t have that happening across our state,” he said. “So we just encourage that there are ways to engage without criminal activity.”