Tenn. Attorney General files motion for immediate abortion ban

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery II spoke on an appeal he filed in the U.S. District Court asking for an emergency motion banning abortion in Tennessee immediately. The move follows the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade.

“Most importantly, after nearly 50 years, today’s decision gives the people of Tennessee a say on what the Court called ‘a profound moral issue,’” Slatery said.

As it stands, Tennessee currently has a “trigger law” that is set to be enacted 30 days after the ruling. As it is written, it will effectively ban the majority of all abortions, straight from fertilization, when enacted.

Another bill, known as a “heartbeat bill,” the legislation bans abortions for fetuses at six weeks when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, or eight weeks overall. This is the bill Slatery wants enacted as soon as possible after ratification.

WVLT News spoke with a doctor, Nikki Zite, about what the law could mean for reproductive health in Tennessee, and she said that she was concerned doctors will not be able to provide necessary medical care to women with abnormal pregnancies.

“I do think the fear of criminalization... will potentially delay care until it is much more severe than it would have been prior to this law,” Dr. Zite said.

WVLT News obtained court documents outlining the filing, which state “Because any delay costs the lives of Tennessee children, the State asks the Court to grant this emergency motion as soon as possible.”

Slatery claimed in his appeal that, since the SCOTUS has made a ruling on Roe v. Wade, the pending Tennessee abortion ban is constitutional at this time, not just in 30 days.

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