CINCINNATI — On Thursday, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a previous ruling from the Federal District Court and upheld Tennessee’s statute mandating a 48 hour waiting period prior to abortion. The effect is to maintain the legality of the waiting period in Tennessee. Any further appeal would have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Predictably, reactions to the ruling were varied.
Said Stacy Dunn, president of Tennessee Right to Life: “We thank the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals for hearing this case and for affirming the voice of Tennessee voters. We have felt all along that this was a common sense law that gave women time for thoughtful consideration to choose life and reduce coerced abortions. We are glad that view was upheld by the Sixth Circuit today.”
Said Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi: “The forced delay requirement has nothing to do with patient health. It exists simply to punish those who seek access to safe, legal abortion and disproportionately impacts Tennessee’s low-income communities and communities of color, who already face systemic barriers to quality health care. This law was created by politicians — not medical experts— to shame patients for their personal decisions. Well, we are not ashamed. Abortion is health care and we at Planned Parenthood will continue to fight for our right to control our own bodies because our patients deserve nothing less.”
