Abortion Ruling Expected to Impact Tennessee
JACKSON, Tenn — Monday our country’s highest court struck down a Texas law placing extra stipulations on abortion clinics.
The justices’ ruling will affect more than just that one law.
In fact legal experts say our state’s laws regarding abortion could be next.
The Supreme Court ruled five to three against the Texas law.
Which is expected to impact two abortion laws right here in Tennessee.
This decision comes after a Texas law was put into place in 2013 that required clinics giving abortions to match the environment of walk-in surgical centers.
“The Supreme Court heard the case and decided that these restrictions were not in fact promoting greater health or safety for woman.” Executive Director of CHOICE Rebecca Terrell said.
The law also required physicians to have admitting privileges at local hospitals.
Tennessee abortion clinics currently face similar challenges.
“The fewer clinics that can actually spend the sometimes millions of dollars that it takes to comply with ambulatory procedures, clinics close down.” Terrell said.
State Senator Ed Jackson says the highest court in the land is not including everyone.
“No I do not support their decision,” the Senator said. “I’m all for protecting the rights of woman. They should have equal rights as men, but today the right of the fetus that the woman is carrying, is human life and it should be protected as well.”
The Senator says he comes from a family full of woman but he knows deciding to get an abortion can come with regrets.
“A woman who does decide to have an abortion, in 5, 10, 20 years down the line she has big regrets about having that abortion.” Jackson stated.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee sent us this statement.
“Today’s decision sends a strong message that laws imposed to create obstacles for a woman seeking to end a pregnancy rather than to actually safeguard her health violate the Constitution. The Supreme Court’s ruling strongly suggests that similar Tennessee laws should be struck down as unconstitutional, as they amount to political interference in a woman’s private healthcare decisions and do nothing to protect a woman’s health.”
Rebecca Terrell with choices said they are currently suing the state of Tennessee for putting these kind of restrictions in place.
Senator Jackson said he expects this issue to be a topic of interest during the 110th general assembly.
