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Roe Reactions: Locals Respond to Historic Supreme Court Decision

Ripples from the U.S. Supreme Court’s Fridy decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision protecting a woman’s right to choose an abortion will spread for years, no doubt touching many lives. Here are some of the immediate reactions from Memphis and Tennessee groups following the announcement of the decision. 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee:

“Today’s landmark Supreme Court decision marks the beginning of a hopeful, new chapter for our country. After years of heartfelt prayer and thoughtful policy, America has an historic opportunity to support women, children and strong families while reconciling the pain and loss caused by Roe v. Wade.

“We have spent years preparing for the possibility that authority would return to the states, and Tennessee’s laws will provide the maximum possible protection for both mother and child. In the coming days, we will address the full impacts of this decision for Tennessee.”

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery:

“Today, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. It overruled the Roe and Casey decisions establishing a federal constitutional right to have an abortion. Today’s decision restores to the states their authority to regulate and prohibit abortion.

“Tennesseans, through the affirmative vote of their elected representatives, amended the constitution a few years ago to confirm that the Tennessee Constitution does not provide a right to an abortion and leaves the issue up to the General Assembly. 

“As a result of today’s ruling:

• I will notify the Tennessee Code Commission in writing that Roe and Casey have been overruled, as required by statute. 

• We have asked the full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the district court’s injunction of the timing provisions in our heartbeat abortion law, so that the law will go into effect as soon as possible. 

• In 30 days, after the issuance of the judgment, the 2019 Human Life Protection Act should go into effect in Tennessee.

“To state the obvious: Dobbs is a momentous decision.  Our republic is founded on the rule of law.  Accordingly, we give respect and deference to the court on occasions when its decisions align and support our state laws, and in cases when a decision might be contrary to Tennessee state law and what the majority of Tennesseans want, as was the case with the 2015 Obergefell decision. 

“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.’”

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen:

“What has been a right for women for nearly 50 years has been struck down by this radical Supreme Court. Roe. v. Wade empowered women to make decisions about their health care and the most fundamental trajectory of their lives. That has been taken from them by an activist Supreme Court that has chosen to ignore the court’s precedents for a political agenda.

“Lucius Burch, a great Memphis lawyer, spoke to me many years ago about the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned.  He said it would never happen because women in this country would march in the streets in protest. Mr. Burch was wrong about Roe never being overturned. But he was right about how women will react. Women in this country will march and march and march – and they will vote and vote and vote.”

Tennessee GOP: 

”For half a century, Roe vs. Wade has been the law of our land and we applaud the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to reverse course and allow the states to determine questions of life. 

“We are proud that our work in Tennessee by electing good, pro-life Republicans has produced a long legacy of leadership that values the culture of life. 

“However we know the fight for life does not end today, it merely shifts the debate from Washington to all the state houses across the country and serves as a reminder that our struggle is not complete. The prayers of millions and the actions of many were answered today as we all rejoice in the gift of life on this day.”

Tennessee Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Jason Martin:

“For nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land — protecting the right to choose and reproductive health. Today, on this horrific day, that has come to end. In Tennessee, all abortions will be effectively illegal in 30 days and it will have the greatest impact on our most vulnerable communities. 

”Make no mistake, abortions will still occur, but they will no longer be safe. Some will say that people can travel to other states, but not only does that further burden women without resources in an already difficult time, but it also fails to acknowledge that our rights are limited by an extremist Supreme Court and state legislature. As a physician, I also worry about how this impacts how we treat women in the hospital — how can I give someone the best medical care possible when medical decisions are no longer just between a woman and her doctor? Tennessee’s trigger law will be detrimental to the health and safety of all Tennesseans, and we cannot let that stand.

It has been clear for some time now that winning Tennessee’s gubernatorial race is a fight to protect women’s rights, freedoms, and safety. What happened this morning just shows us how urgently we need to act, and how much we need to come together to defeat this trigger law, Bill Lee, and the radical super majority in November.”

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn: 

”Having worked alongside Tennesseans to protect the innocent lives of unborn children for years, I applaud today’s Supreme Court ruling. 

“Despite false claims from the left, this decision will not ban abortion. Instead, it returns the decision to the states and empowers state legislatures with more flexibility to craft policy through the democratic process. 

“It is unacceptable that a draft opinion was leaked in advance and that the person responsible has not been caught. The leaker has jeopardized the safety of our justices, and threats of violence by the radical militant mob are unacceptable. We appreciate the brave law enforcement officers working overtime to protect our justices and their families.”

Healthy and Free Tennessee, a reproductive rights advocacy group:

”At Healthy and Free Tennessee, we have been preparing for this reality and will continue to center abolition in the fight for reproductive justice for all Tennesseans. We are not giving up on our communities and will not stop fighting for the decriminalization of abortion, pregnancy, and parenting. 

“Now more than ever, we are backing our clinics, we are fighting against criminalization, and are here for our communities. Tennesseeans deserve freedom from state violence and criminalization. We will always oppose laws that punish people for pregnancy outcomes and will always work to provide accurate resources and information, fight for increased resources for pregnant people and families, and advocate for the rights of pregnant people. We deserve the dignity to make decisions about our own pregnancies, families, and futures.”

Tennessee House Minority Leader Rep. Karen Camper:

“I have often said that abortion is a complicated and very personal decision. And I personally believe that we don’t spend enough time on finding solutions to the reasons why some people have to have abortions.

“However, this ruling means that in Tennessee, all abortions will be criminalized, including for victims of rape and incest. Women should have the right to make their own, personal healthcare decisions.  This is an unfortunate decision based on politics instead of established law and, according to the vast majority of polls, the will of people.”   

Hendrell Remus, chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party:

“This decision is a direct assault on the rights of Tennesseeans. The court’s interpretation of the constitution on this issue is flawed and a direct insertion of political activism on the highest court in the land.

“This decision made by a conservative majority on the court, will empower a radical majority serving in state legislatures across the country. Politicians will be even more emboldened by this decision to impose their most restrictive views on us. Today, an essential and lifesaving freedom was discarded by a court installed to protect it.”

Brit Bender, executive director Tennessee Democratic Party:

“Clearly, this is a blow to Americans everywhere, but in Tennessee, abortion is most at risk due to a trigger law that will outlaw abortion without the federal right. This trigger law now criminalizes any abortion unless necessary to prevent death or ‘serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.’ The abortion ban puts millions of Tennesseeans in danger and takes away their bodily autonomy.

“We are going to keep pushing back against anti-choice representatives and legislation any chance we get. The Tennessee Democratic Party will work to support pro-choice candidates and legislators as well as abortion rights groups in state. We’re prepared to fight for the safety and autonomy of Tennesseeans.”

Tennessee state Senator Raumesh Akbari:

“The Supreme Court just reset the clock on women’s constitutional rights to 1972. This decision puts the lives of women in imminent danger by handing politicians control over our most personal healthcare decisions. This is a stunning reversal of a decades-long expansion of our personal privacy rights and it’s disgraceful because it will not affect every American equally. Men’s reproductive liberties are completely untouched and protected.

“In Tennessee, abortion is already a right in name only for many people but even here the consequences for women will be swift and severe. Soon, a law from 2019 will make it a felony to provide an abortion in our state. As a direct result, the few abortion providers we have left will be criminalized and women and girls will be forced to carry pregnancies to term, even when they are a victim of rape or incest.

“Those with economic means, access to transportation, and friends who can help them get around legal roadblocks will still be able to exercise some control over their own bodies. But poor women and many Black women, women who already feel the sting of inequity in our laws and economy, will feel the repercussions of this decision right away.

“In this country, our sisters and daughters should have the same rights that our brothers and sons have, which is exactly why women should be trusted to start a family when they’re ready — without interference from politicians. Instead, we are going backward and the extreme politicians who brought us to this point are ready to shred our rights even further.”

Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville):

“This a sad day for this country. The Supreme Court was once the place that Americans could turn to for justice. The women’s movement, the civil rights movement, the disabled community and the LGBTQ community all turned to the high court to have their basic human rights affirmed. However today, politics overruled justice.

“Today, the black robes of the Supreme Court turned red and politics ruled the day. Now, we have to fight back and the best place to do that is at the ballot box. We have fewer than a dozen days now to register to vote in Tennessee and I urge everyone to let their voices be heard in this year’s upcoming election.”

Steve Mulroy, Democratic nominee for Shelby County District Attorney:

“This is a sad day. The politicized right-wing court goes out of its way to overturn half a century of precedent, with women as the victims.

“As District Attorney, I’ll be very different from Amy Weirich. Weirich’s party and Donald Trump want her to turn her attention away from prosecuting violent crime and prosecute women and their doctors. We need to be focusing on carjackings, murders, domestic violence – not jailing doctors helping women make reproductive choices.”

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Just Anger

Photo: Zimmytws | Dreamstime.com

I had a fierce sense of justice when I was younger. I got in trouble in elementary school for pouring strawberry applesauce on the white basketball shorts of a boy who was bullying my friend. In church, when our Sunday school teacher would ask for “strong boys” to volunteer to put away folding chairs, I would carry as many chairs as I could under my small arms, to drive home the point that girls are strong, too.

After high school, I left my hometown and moved to Memphis for college. Sophomore year, I interned at Planned Parenthood. It was there that I learned about how much Planned Parenthood does for accessible healthcare outside of abortions, including but not limited to cancer screenings, prenatal care, and STD screenings and treatments. I also learned that we were expected to maintain a sense of decorum in the face of the pro-life protesters who set up camp outside of the building daily. We were not to give them any reason to harm us, defame Planned Parenthood, or paint us as angry or irrational. One day as I was walking into my internship, one of the protestors yelled at me, “Murderer! You are going to Hell for killing your baby!” She had so much venom and hatred in her voice, it took everything in me not to respond. Another thing I learned as a Planned Parenthood intern was that, quite commonly, people who once protested outside of the building would come in to seek abortions for themselves or for a loved one. We were not to chastise or shame these people. A few weeks after the protestor yelled at me, I came to Planned Parenthood as a patient to get tested for STDs. The same woman who had screamed at me weeks before was sitting in the waiting room, holding her stomach and impatiently tapping her foot. We made brief eye contact, and she turned her face away.

In college, I had multiple friends seek abortions. Each of them had a good reason, not that any of them owed that to anyone. One of my friends was raped and told me stone-faced that if she was forced to deliver her rapists’ baby, she would kill herself. I believe her. I have read first-hand accounts from people who lived pre-Roe v. Wade, who have similar stories but with sadder outcomes: Their friends died, by their own hand or by botched back-alley abortions. Restricting access to abortion causes death and suffering. I have friends who would not be thriving, or would not be here at all, if they were denied access to abortion. Several of my friends ,who had abortions when we were young, now have happy, healthy, wanted children.

The legality of Roe v. Wade stands upon the concept that we as adult citizens of the United States have a right to privacy and equal protections, based upon the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Other Supreme Court decisions based on the same amendment include Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated schools, and Loving v. Virginia, which federally legalized interracial marriage. If the Supreme Court can overturn a landmark case providing equal reproductive rights, they may seek to overturn other civil rights decisions. Our very right to privacy is at stake. In fact, this is already happening to transgender and gay people who are having their rights eroded nationally. These struggles for bodily autonomy are linked together. Our fellow citizens facing injustice is a threat to all justice itself.

The history of the “pro-life” movement is steeped in racism. In the 1960s, before Roe v. Wade passed, being anti-abortion was seen as a “Catholic issue,” and supporting access to abortion in cases of rape, incest, and threat to the mother’s life was bipartisan. But the far right was troubled by all of the headway made by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s in desegregating schools. Far-right evangelical leaders were opposed to desegregation and viewed abortion as an easy way to galvanize and unite Christians to vote far-right evangelical leaders into office. Defending the fetus was their political rallying cry, but defending racial segregation was the end goal.

Classism also plays a role in who is able to access abortion. Wealthy people will always be able to access abortion. They can fly themselves, their wives, mistresses, or children to a state or country where abortion is legal. Making abortion illegal creates barriers to abortion for the most financially vulnerable around us, who cannot afford to take off work for a day, much less fly to another state to access an abortion, and who are disproportionately people of color, particularly in the states most likely to outlaw abortion. These are the people who will be most likely to seek an illegal abortion in the event of an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy. They are the people who are most likely to die.

Do not let voting be the only measure you take. We are set to lose the protections of Roe under a Democratic-controlled House, Senate, and presidency. We must pressure our elected officials to codify Roe into federal law. We must protest, with our wallets and our voices. We must not be afraid to use the word abortion. We must drive home the reality that abortion is safe, normal, and a societal good. We must be outspoken, even if we cannot become pregnant ourselves. Remember, abortion is an issue of human rights, and safe abortions actually preserve life, rather than destroy it.

When I was a child, I had a fierce sense of justice. Now I am an adult, and that sense of justice has calcified into a deep anger at the injustices that marginalized people face in our supposedly free and equal country. When a document was leaked from the Supreme Court outlining their probable future decision to overturn Roe, many of my friends cried when they found out. I have not cried. I am furious. I need you, regardless of your age, gender, religion, or ability to bear children, to be furious with me, to inform yourself, and to take action, because outlawing abortion is an egregious violation of human liberties that will impact each and every one of us. Our right to privacy and equality is at stake, and we must fight.

Louise Page is an independent singer/songwriter based in Memphis. She is a classically trained pianist with a degree in Creative Writing from Rhodes College.

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TN CEO: Planned Parenthood Prepared for Possible Roe Overturn Since 2019

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

The end of safe and legal abortion is likely here said the leader of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi (PPTNM) on Monday, but the agency is already working on its next steps. 

The declaration came after news of the U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion on Roe vs. Wade surfaced late Sunday. The draft opinion from Justice Samuel Alito began circulating in the court in February but was leaked to Politico only recently. The draft opinion would end federal protections for abortions nationwide and give the decision to states. 

“We know the harm that will come from this decision,” said PPTNM CEO Ashley Cofield in a Monday news conference. 

Should the court overturn the decision, it would trigger a Tennessee law that would ban abortions in the state within 30 days, Cofield said. The decision would likely also lift a temporary injunction on a law passed here (but now blocked by a judge) outlawing abortions after six weeks. 

While Cofield painted a grim reality of a future most pro-choice citizens have dreaded, she vowed PPTNM would continue its work. 

“First and foremost, abortion is legal today in Tennessee and our doors remain open,” Cofield said during a Monday press conference. “We will continue to provide abortion care up to the very minute when we no longer can do so.”

But Cofield said her agency has been preparing for this outcome since 2019, when the Tennessee General Assembly passed the 30-day trigger ban. PPTNM is hiring and training patient navigators, to help those they serve get access to legal abortions outside of Tennessee and Mississippi. These navigators will help patients remove financial and transportation barriers to finding legal abortions.

Should the decision be overturned, Cofield said Tennessee residents in Memphis and Nashville could find access to an abortion in Illinois. Those in East Tennessee, while some political unknowns now exist, could find abortion access in North Carolina, Virginia, and, perhaps, Florida. 

PPTNM is also now considering offering emergency contraceptives, like Plan B, to its patients for free. 

Cofield said the impact would be felt hard in Shelby County. Many abortions are provided here, she said, because the county is served by her agency as well as Choices – Memphis Center for Reproductive Health. Also, many patients travel to Shelby County from other parts of the state and the region for care. 

“We know, also, that it will mostly impact Black, Latino, and other people of color who already disproportionately feel the effects of abortion bans and restrictions, a product of this country’s legacy of racism and discrimination,” Cofield said.

In Tennessee, 51 percent of women getting an abortion in 2019 were Black, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Of the remaining women 39 percent were white, 6 percent were Hispanic, and 4 percent were of another race. 

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund says Blacks have a higher rate of unintended pregnancy and a higher rate of abortion than non-Hispanic whites. The underlying issues for this are linked to poverty and lack of access to pregnancy prevention services. 

A Facebook post by Advocates of Planned Parenthood reads, “Let’s be clear: This is a draft opinion. It is outrageous and unprecedented, but not final. Abortion is your right and it is still legal.”

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TN AG: Time Has Run Out for Ban on Abortion Law

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery (Credit: state of Tennessee)

Tennessee’s 48-hour waiting period for abortions is now an unquestioned law, said the Tennessee Attorney General, as “the legal battle is over.”

Tennessee AG Herbert Slatery said Friday the window of opportunity for a review of the law by the U.S. Supreme Court has closed. The 48-hour waiting period for an abortion “is no longer subject to question,” he said.  

The law passed the Tennessee General Assembly in 2015. Later, a district court agreed with abortion providers that the law violated a woman’s right to have an abortion. The ruling stopped officials here from enforcing the law. 

State officials appealed the ruling to the full sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. That court reversed the lower-court judgment saying the law “is not a substantial obstacle to abortion for a large fraction of women seeking pre-viability abortions in Tennessee.” 

“This law was on the books for five years before the district court enjoined it,” Slatery said in a statement. “The Sixth Circuit took the unusual step of having the full court review the district court decision and that of its own panel.

“We are grateful that the court recognized the validity of a law passed by the people’s representatives and did not substitute its own judgment for the policy decision made by the legislature and the governor.” 

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Appeals Court Upholds Block on Tennessee Abortion Ban

A federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s decision Friday to block a Tennessee abortion ban that was signed into law last year. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit agreed with Middle Tennessee District Judge William Campbell’s preliminary injunction, which blocked the law from taking effect shortly after it passed. 

The law bans abortion at certain gestational ages beginning at six weeks. It also bans abortion based on a Down syndrome diagnosis or because of the gender or race of the fetus. 

The provisions of the law are “constitutionally unsound,” Judge Martha Daughtrey wrote in the opinion. 

“Although this circuit’s recent — and alarming — decisions have broadened the extent to which the government may impede a person’s constitutional right to choose whether to carry a pregnancy to term, the law remains clear that if a regulation is a substantial obstacle to a woman seeking an abortion, it is invalid,” the opinion reads. “We take note that state legislatures recently have passed more anti-abortion regulations than perhaps at any other time in this country’s history. However, this development is not a signal to the courts to change course.”

Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee applauded the court’s decision. 

“People should be able to make decisions for themselves about whether and when to become a parent, without politicians interfering,” Weinberg said. “ Today’s ruling is critical to Tennesseans’ ability to continue receiving safe and legal abortion care. We will continue to fight this unconstitutional law until it is struck down for good.”

Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, said the decision allows abortion to remain safe and legal in Tennessee despite a “national, coordinated attack on abortion rights.” 

“We trust our patients to make their own fully informed reproductive healthcare decisions,” Coffield said. “We are thankful that the court ruled to protect that trust and ensure that we can continue to provide expert, compassionate abortion care in our state.”

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TN Senate Passes “Cruel” Fetal Remains Bill

Tennessee State Capitol/Facebook

Tennessee Senators sent a bill to the governor’s desk Wednesday that would force women who have surgical abortions to decide if the fetal remains should be buried or cremated. 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will have the final say on the matter after Senators approved the bill in a 27-6 vote that fell along party lines. Tennessee House members passed the legislation there in a floor vote Tuesday. 

The bill will require clinics that offer surgical abortion to ask patients to decide whether fetal remains should be buried or cremated. The patient does not have to choose but must sign a waiver if they don’t. The decision would then be left to the clinic. 

No state funding will be given for the costs of the burial or cremation. The bill’s House sponsor Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro) said the service can range in cost from $150 to $350. The Senate sponsor Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) put the costs from $100-$150. 

These costs will be paid by the clinics. However, the mother would have to pay the fee if she chooses a service not offered by the clinic. So, the mother would pay for a burial if the clinic only offers cremation. 

The new rules cover only clinics that offer surgical abortion. Bowling said there are only two in the state but did not mention them by name. Hospitals and other facilities follow their own rules. In the case of a miscarriage at home, the treatment of fetal remains is “a personal decision for the family,” Bowling said. 

Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashvillle) questioned the narrow scope of the bill. He said the legislation does not ensure the appropriate treatment of all fetal remains in Tennessee. Instead, he said it only creates an obstacle for one group of patients and one category of medical providers. 

“I question why we are singling out one group of people for this type of treatment, if our stated concern is our actual stated concern,” Yarbro said. 

Francie Hunt, executive director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, put it bluntly.

“Make no mistake, this legislation is a direct attack on Planned Parenthood, a trusted health care provider across our state,” Hunt said in a statement after the vote. “The so-called dignity that this bill would provide only extends to fetal remains from clinics, but not from hospitals and not from medication abortions or miscarriages at home. 

“This lays bare that this is a targeted regulation of abortion providers and intended to shame patients. We have real health issues in Tennessee, and if politicians don’t want to be part of the solution, they should get out of our way.”

Pushed to answer why the bill would not cover situations and facilities more broadly, Bowling only answered that she’d gladly co-sponsor such legislation in the future. 

Republican proponents of the bill said it meets constitutional standards as it does not limit access to abortions. They pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld such a law in Indiana. But those who spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday said the bill was about human life. 

“I find it distressful that this will be a vote according to what party you belong to,” said Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield). “It ought not to be about what party you’re in but it ought to be about your view of life. The callousness toward this issue is heartbreaking.”

However, Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) said the legislation was “cruel.”

“When a family makes the type of decision they’re making here, it’s a difficult one,” Akbari said on the floor Wednesday. “It is one that we have no idea the circumstances that it exists around. Then, to have the additional trauma related to being required to have this type of service is just cruel.”  

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Rules On Aborted Fetal Remains Pass TN House

Tennessee State Capitol/Facebook

A bill requiring clinics that provide abortions and/or women who have had an abortion to cremate or bury aborted fetal tissue passed the Tennessee state House Monday afternoon. It is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Wednesday.

The bill says a pregnant woman who has an abortion “has the right” to determine whether the fetal remains are buried or cremated. Medical facilities will pay for the disposition of remains and can choose to offer cremation or burial or both. But if a clinic does not offer the disposition option picked by the woman, she will be responsible for the final cost of the method she chooses.

The bill’s House sponsor Rep. Tim Rudd (R-Murfreebsoro) projected cremation services costs at $350 and burial at around $150. No state fund is available to help clinics or pregnant women pay for such services, he said. Though, he said, many funeral homes have said they wouldn’t charge for the services. Also, charities “have been set up” to pay for such services, Rudd said, but did not give specifics.

This is the most offensive piece of legislation I’ve heard this year.

Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis)

“This is the most offensive piece of legislation I’ve heard this year,” said Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis), during Monday’s floor debate on the bill. “You are forcing women who have potentially been raped and forcing them to bury or cremate that. This is not a pro-life piece of legislation. What you are doing is forcing your legislative power on women who have made the choice.”

However, Rudd said the bill does “not restrict abortion or have anything to do with abortion; this is post-abortion.”

“The way this is now handled — with the [remains] either thrown in the trash or flushed in the toilet — it is appalling,” said Rudd, who stood in front of the House chambers surrounded by nearly a dozen of the bill’s co-sponsors. “Pets and farms animals are treated with more dignity [in state law] but there’s nothing about the dignity of an unborn child.”

Pets and farms animals are treated with more dignity…

Rep. Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro)
Rep. Bill Rudd (R-Murfreesboro), bottom center, debates his bill alongside its numerous co-sponsors on the House floor Monday evening.
(Credit: Tennessee General Assembly) Rep. Bill Rudd (R-Murfreesboro), bottom center, debates his bill alongside its numerous co-sponsors on the House floor Monday evening.

Rep. Robin Smith (R-Hixson) told lawmakers she’s a former heart transplant nurse and that the way medical waste and fetal remains are treated “it’s very much different.”

The Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood (TAPP) group said the bill exempts abortions in hospitals from these new rules.

“This bill is nothing more than targeted regulation at abortion providers — aimed at closing Planned Parenthood — and it gives extremists a way to make every patient feel ashamed about their decision,” said Francie Hunt, executive director of TAPP said in a statement. “We’re urging our lawmakers to stay out of personal medical decisions and instead find solutions that actually improve health care in Tennessee.”

The Tennessee Right to Life group said it supports the measure because ”the remains of aborted children should be treated with dignity and not as trash or medical waste.”

“Pro-abortion activists will oppose this legislation on the false pretense that it creates an obstacle for women, but in fact, their opposition comes from the refusal to acknowledge the humanity of the unborn child and to thereby treat their bodies with dignity and respect,” reads a statement from the group.

Similar bills have already been passed in Indiana, Utah, and Ohio. 

Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine (R) signed that state’s bill in December. The state now mandates aborted fetuses to be disposed of in a “humane manner.”  

The new law was slated to go into effect earlier this month. A lawsuit was filed by abortion providers/clinics and the Ohio American Civil Liberties Union to stop the action. In early April, the law was blocked by a judge who argued the rule interferes with a patient’s right to an abortion under Ohio state law. 

Lamar correctly noted during the debate Monday that this legislation was blocked by a court. Rudd said it was not and that his bill was modeled after the parts that survived a review by the U.S. Supreme Court. He may have been incorrectly citing the history of similar legislation in Indiana.

Indiana lawmakers passed a similar bill in 2016, signed into law by then-Gov. Mike Pence. The law was challenged soon after. U.S. Supreme Court Justices upheld the part of the law dealing with internment but refused to review a section on whether or not abortion should be illegal in the state. 

Similar legislation is being considered now in Florida and Pennsylvania. 

In 2019, a pair of Indiana Republicans, Reps. Jackie Walorski and Jim Banks, filed the Dignity for Aborted Children Act. The bill would “would hold abortion providers accountable if they fail to provide for the proper burial or cremation of aborted fetal remains.”

That bill came after law enforcement officials discovered the remains of 2,411 fetuses in Illinois after the death of an Indiana abortion provider in 2019. The remains were found next to a garage and in the trunk of a car belonging to Dr. Ulrich Klopfer, who had worked at Indiana abortion clinics. The remains dated from the years 2000 to 2003.    

It was unclear why Klopfer kept the remains or failed to dispose of them properly. No charges were filed because he was deceased. But the event was enough for the Indiana legislators to recommend a federal law.

“Our society cannot tolerate such callous disregard for the sanctity of human life,” Walorski said in a statement in 2019. “As we continue working to defend the unborn, it is critical that we pass this bill to protect the dignity of abortion victims by ensuring their remains are treated with the respect they deserve.”   

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CHOICES New Executive Director Brings a Vision to Reproductive Health

CREDIT: CHOICES

CHOICES

Jennifer Pepper takes over as CHOICES’ new executive director.


CHOICES, a nonprofit comprehensive care clinic, introduced new executive director Jennifer Pepper in a press release this week. Pepper, a Rhodes College graduate and longtime Memphian, said that her journey into reproductive health and began at a young age. Growing up, Pepper’s mom never shied away from discussing sex or reproductive health at length. And that got awkward.

“My mom was the cool mom, which was just completely embarrassing at the time,” she said. “I remember she rented a video from the public library about HIV and AIDS prevention and she made me and my group of friends watch this video. I just remember being absolutely mortified that I was being forced to do this with my middle school friends.”

But Pepper’s knowledge of reproductive rights and health led her to an internship at Planned Parenthood during her second year at Rhodes. The internship crystallized her appreciation of the educational side of reproductive health. While at Rhodes, she began helping other educators prepare for their sessions and going out into the community with the educators to observe. Pepper even began creating her own training documents while still a student.

“For my senior project at Rhodes,” she said, “I designed an HIV prevention curriculum. That curriculum helped me get my very first job out of Rhodes, at Le Bonheur doing HIV prevention education. That’s really where I spent the first part of my career — doing HIV prevention and testing.”

At Le Bonheur, Pepper spent time visiting drug rehab clinics, nursing homes, and prisons to teach about safe sex practices. After four years Pepper went to work full time for a then-smaller CHOICES as their patient educator, eventually leading to her writing the first grant that CHOICES applied for. It still makes her smile.

“I feel like I’ve really grown up with CHOICES, and in a lot of ways it’s my dream job. So, I’m really excited to be here.”

After leaving CHOICES in 2013 to lead the Memphis Ryan White Program with the Shelby County Government, Pepper went to back school to get her masters of business to further her career in the non-profit field before rejoining the group in 2018 as director of finance and operations.

“I had seen through my 10-plus years in the nonprofit field there were lots of people who wanted to help people and have really good intentions. And there was this lack of business acumen. So I figured that was something I could bring to the table.”

Pepper steps into CHOICES at a pivotal time. At the state level, the ACLU of Tennessee is fighting multiple cases that would shake up the reproductive health landscape in the state, affecting CHOICES and the way its comprehensive health clinic operates. Despite complications from the state level, Pepper says CHOICES will continue to put the individual first.

“We want to serve people throughout their lifespan. Because the person that needs birth control today might want to have a baby next year, and they might need an abortion in five years, or vice versa. You should be able to come to the same place where providers care about you and are empowering you to get those services.”

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News The Fly-By

Week That Was: Data, Abortion, and Domestic Violence

Clockwise from top left: abortion, domestic violence, art fund, Gov. Bill Lee, transmission rates, Mid-South Food Bank, shop local


New Data

Tennessee’s coronavirus transmission rate fell over the past week, according to new data from researchers at Vanderbilt University, though the virus situation here remains “delicate and uncertain.”

Virus models from the Nashville university pushed the state’s peak of the virus from mid-April, according to one national model, to mid-May or mid-June, depending on new restrictions on social distancing.

Protecting Abortion

The Center for Reproductive Rights, along with two other organizations, is challenging an order by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee that essentially bans abortion procedures in the state.

Earlier this month, in an executive order responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee moved to limit “non-emergency healthcare procedures” until at least the end of the month. The order does not specifically cite abortion services, but instead reads in part, “All healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities in the state of Tennessee shall postpone surgical and invasive procedures that are elective and non-urgent.”

The Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU of Tennessee filed an emergency lawsuit last week to challenge the order.

The lawsuit argues that the governor’s order effectively bans abortion in the sate, violating Roe v. Wade, as well as women’s rights to liberty and autonomy under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Domestic Violence

As the pandemic continues and stay-at-home orders remain in place, one advocate said it is “common sense” that domestic violence will heighten.

Deborah Clubb, executive director of the Memphis Area Women’s Council, said most in her field are “very worried” for those in abusive or violent domestic relationships.

The biggest concern during this time, “as people are locked in together day after day, week after week,” Clubb said, is a rise in domestic violence homicides. However, there are resources to help those in dangerous situations at home.

Clubb said how one seeks help and relief from domestic violence depends largely on each individual’s circumstance. See a list of agencies and their phone numbers below.

Schools Closed

Governor Bill Lee said last week that he wants all Tennessee schools to remain closed throughout the remainder of the school year.

In a tweet after the announcement, Lee said he’s working with the Tennessee Department of Education to “ensure there is flexibility for districts to complete critical year-end activities.”

The tweet garnered dozens of responses within the first hour after it was published. Many of them from students, were like this:

Week That Was: Data, Abortion, and Domestic Violence

Food Bank Needs

Reports and photos are emerging from across the country showing cars, lined by the hundreds, with people waiting to receive food packages from food banks.

Cathy Pope, president of the Mid-South Food Bank, said as the agency has nearly doubled the amount of food it distributes, it is beginning to see long lines form at a few of its mobile food pantries.

Pope said the key to avoiding the long lines and turning individuals away is having enough dedicated distribution sites located throughout the city. That means securing partners who are willing to set up mobile food pantries.

The best way to ensure the agency has enough food to meet the need, Pope said, is to donate. Find more information on how to do that here.

Model Revised

Tennessee’s coronavirus peak and fatality numbers got another downgrade last week from the widely used epidemic model from the University of Washington.

The numbers from the university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) have been used by the White House and state and local governments across the country. It has long predicted a virus peak here in mid-to-late April.

But the model has been recently diminished as too optimistic after a Tennessee-specific model was developed by health-care officials from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. That new model holds that the state’s peak won’t come until mid-May or mid-June under different scenarios. Numbers from the Vanderbilt model are not publicly updated.

Art Funds

ArtsMemphis and Music Export Memphis are distributing $77,190 to 159 artists in Shelby County. The funds come from the Artist Emergency Fund, which became public April 1st and supports artists of all types across music, visual art, film and media arts, literary art, theater, and dance.

Shopping Local

With the newly added stresses caused by COVID-19, some of us need a little shopping therapy. Luckily, while we can no longer step inside most shops, local retailers still have us in mind with online and phone ordering for shipping, same-day delivery, and curbside pickup. We’ve amassed an online and curbside shopping guide, featuring products and offerings from our advertisers. View the guide here


Categories
News News Blog

Judge Rules Abortions Can Continue Amid Coronavirus

CREDIT: Planned Parenthood of Tennessee And North Mississippi/Facebook

Planned Parenthood of Tennessee And North Mississippi/Facebook

A federal district court in Tennessee blocked the governor’s attempt to temporarily ban abortion because of the coronavirus.

Earlier this month, in an executive order responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee moved to limit “non-emergency healthcare procedures” until at least the end of the month. The order does not specifically cite abortion services, but instead reads in part, “All healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities in the state of Tennessee shall postpone surgical and invasive procedures that are elective and non-urgent.”

In response, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU of Tennessee filed an emergency lawsuit to challenge the order last week.

The lawsuit argues that the governor’s order effectively bans abortion in the sate, violating Roe v. Wade, as well as a women’s right to liberty and autonomy under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Late last week, a court granted an emergency motion, allowing clinics to resume procedural abortions. U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman wrote in his decision that “abortion is a time-sensitive procedure.

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“Delaying a woman’s access to abortion even by a matter of days can result in her having to undergo a lengthier and more complex procedure that involves progressively greater health risks, or can result in her losing the right to obtain an abortion altogether. Therefore, plaintiffs have demonstrated that enforcement of EO-25 causes them irreparable harm.”

Read the judge’s full decision below:

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Ashely Coffield, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, applauded the judge’s decision: “the priority of Planned Parenthood health centers has always been the health and safety of our patients, staff, and community.

“Since the onset of the pandemic, we have done our part to promote best practices that reduce the transmission of the coronavirus and conserve needed resources. I am grateful the guidance in the executive order has been clarified so we may continue to do so while still meeting the needs of our patients.”

Rebecca Terrell, executive director of CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, also lauded Friedman’s decision, expressing relief that the clinic can start rescheduling appointments for patients.

“This has been a very challenging and emotional time for our patients, and frankly heartbreaking for our staff,” Terrell said. “We are so relieved that we can start rescheduling appointments for our patients and they won’t be forced to travel out of state during this scary time.”

Tennessee is just one of several states whose government moved to ban abortions amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Lawsuits on the matter are ongoing in Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas.