Republicans are trying to clean up the state’s abortion law to more explicitly allow doctors to save the life of a pregnant person. But that proposal is drawing fire from the state’s leading anti-abortion group.
If passed, physicians would be able to terminate non-viable pregnancies without fear of running afoul of the state’s law.
The bill passed its first committee stop but not without a threat from lobbyist Will Brewer with Tennessee Right to Life that helped craft the state’s current law.
“I would not consider this a pro-life law, and in discussions with our PAC, they have informed me that they would score this negatively for those members that wish to vote for it,” Brewer said.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, who rarely attends committee meetings, made an appearance afterward to stand by his Republican colleagues who were threatened.
“You can have those conversations in the room; you can have those conversations in e-mail. But to do it in the committee, to try and intimidate this committee, to go a certain direction is uncalled for,” Sexton said.
This isn’t the only change Republicans want to make. Another bill that would give victims of rape and incest an option to abort their pregnancy hasn’t had a hearing yet.
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