State House passes fetal heartbeat bill, moves on to Senate

The Tennessee House passed a bill Thursday that would ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected in the fetus.

The bill will now move on the State Senate.

An anti-abortion group in Tennessee is opposing the bill that would ban most women from obtaining the procedure once a fetus’s heartbeat is detected.

Tennessee Right to Life announced Tuesday they are against the bill because it raises too many legal concerns and could weaken the state’s current abortion ban.

Specifically, the group argued the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has already promised to sue the state should the bill pass.

Furthermore, the bill would ban abortion once a heartbeat is detected — typically around six weeks. The group says this would replace existing abortion restrictions and leave the state with no “post-viable” abortion ban during a legal challenge.

Gov. Bill Lee, House Speaker Glen Casada and Senate Speaker Randy McNally all favor a so-called heartbeat ban.