Nashville’s DA has said he won’t prosecute abortion providers, but that might not make a difference in Tennessee

Tennesseans could have a little more than 30 days before the state’s trigger law on abortion takes effect. State Attorney General Herbert Slatery began the process of outlawing abortions in the state Friday, but the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is giving plaintiffs in a suit against a 6-week ban on abortions until Monday to make an appeal.

Nashville’s District Attorney Glenn Funk has previously stated that he won’t prosecute abortion providers in the city.

“As long as I am the elected District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District, I will never prosecute any woman who decides to have a medical procedure to terminate a pregnancy or any medical doctor who performs this procedure at the request a their patient,” his campaign website reads.

Now, Funk will soon have to follow through on that promise.

“I think he’ll make good on it, but I’m not sure it’s going to matter,” says Ellen Clayton, a Vanderbilt law professor. “Slatery’s office would step in and do the prosecutions anyway.”

Funk’s office did not respond to a request for comment.