Tennessee House passes bill decriminalizing abortions for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies

State House members voted 83 to 11 to approve a measure adding narrow exemptions to the state’s abortion ban.

Specifically, it creates more explicit exceptions for abortion services for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages. The measure also allows doctors to use reasonable medical judgement to determine when an abortion is necessary.

House Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, said during floor debate on Monday that the measure still doesn’t go far enough.

“At the end of the day, I look at this and we’re still making a doctor make a legal decision instead of a medical decision,” said Mitchell.

Democrats who voted for the bill said it’s better than the state’s current all-out abortion ban.

The Senate version of the bill is scheduled for a vote in the Judiciary committee later this week.

The changes that were made to the bill were favored by Tennessee Right to Life, an anti-abortion group. Obstetricians who spoke to WPLN say the bill is a step backward from what was being proposed earlier in session.