Tag: Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood

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Planned Parenthood Expects ‘More Criminalization’ One Year After Dobbs Decision

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

As the one-year anniversary of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization approaches on Saturday, June 24th, Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi consider it to be “more dangerous and more deadly to be pregnant in Tennessee.”

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court decided to overturn the decision made in the landmark case, Roe v. Wade, which protected a woman’s right to choose an abortion. On August 25, 2022, a Tennessee law went into effect that made providing abortions a felony. As the Memphis Flyer reported in August, the Human Life Protection Act “was passed in 2019 just in case the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade.” 

At the time of its passage, the law did not allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, or any fetal abnormality that could prove fatal to the baby. The law only allowed an abortion in Tennessee if giving birth would kill the pregnant woman or would prevent “serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of major bodily function.”

In the most recent legislative session, exceptions were made for ectopic and molar pregnancies. The Tennessee General Assembly declared that the termination of a pregnancy for these purposes does not “constitute criminal abortion.” While this amendment expanded instances for which abortions are allowed, organizations such as Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood are still against the bill.

“Anything that allows more access to abortion and reproductive health care is vital, but anything short of complete support for bodily autonomy and abortion rights stigmatizes abortions, particularly for our most disenfranchised communities,” said a statement on the organization’s website.

The “Tennessee Abortion-Inducing Drug Risk Protocol Act” was passed on May 9, 2022, and took effect on January 1, 2023, which required all “abortion inducing drugs,” to be provided only by qualified physicians in medical facilities. While the law went into effect around the same time that the Food and Drug administration expanded access to these drugs, abortion is still illegal in the state of Tennessee. It is, however, still legal to leave the state for an abortion. Currently, Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi uses a Patient Navigation team, to help patients understand their options in these instances.

“We are navigating patients out of state for abortion care. We’re helping them with logistics. We’re giving them resources for travel. We’re helping them pay for the services when they get there,” said Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, in a video released ahead of the anniversary of the Dobbs decision.

While making strides to expand access and resources, the organization also said that it expects “more criminalization and more intimidation going forward.”

“State lawmakers have already advocated and strategized around ways to ban contraceptives, IVF treatments and restrict interstate travel for abortion. It is a scary time,” said Planned Parenthood in a statement.”

HB1084, sponsored by Representative Jesse Chism (D-Memphis) and Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis), failed in the legislative session this year. This bill proposed that the offenses related to “criminal abortions,” should not include contraceptives such as hormonal birth control, emergency contraceptives, and intrauterine devices.

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Tennessee Leaders Discuss Reproductive Rights at White House

Photo by René DeAnda on Unsplash

Tennessee elected officials met on Wednesday at the White House to discuss reproductive rights in America. 

According to a statement from the Tennessee legislature, Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis), Senate Democratic Caucus chairwoman Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis), and Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), were among 81 state legislators that were invited to speak on “Republican attacks on reproductive rights, as well as state efforts to protect and expand access to abortion care.”

This meeting came days ahead of the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

 “We are approaching the anniversary of the Dobbs decision and we are highlighting the importance of a woman’s choice at this convening,” said Akbari. “In Tennessee, there is no exception for rape or incest, fatal fetal anomalies, or the true health needs of the mom. We’re committed to the cause of reproductive freedom and we will continue this fight until every family can make these private health decisions for themselves — without interference from politicians,” she said.

On August 25, 2022, a Tennessee law went into effect that made providing abortions a felony. As the Memphis Flyer reported in August, the Human Life Protection Act “was passed in 2019 just in case the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade.”

The law only allows an abortion in Tennessee if giving birth would kill the pregnant woman or would prevent “serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of major bodily function.”

There have been bills passed in the legislative session that Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood have categorized as a “forced” birth agenda such as SB0600 that “prohibits local governments from expending funds for the purposes of assisting a person in obtaining a criminal abortion.” Planned Parenthood has been vocal about their opposition to these bans, as they are also working to navigate through this legislation.

“We will keep fighting for a full repeal of Tennessee’s abortion ban, because that’s the only way to give people the options they deserve,” said Kristal Knight, board chair for Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood.

Lamar stated that reproductive healthcare is an important issue for her to advocate for, due to the “staggering state of women’s health in Tennessee.”

“At a time when women’s freedom has been stripped away in Tennessee, it’s more important than ever that we join forces with the executive branch to evaluate strategies to advance support for women’s access to healthcare,” said Lamar. “The White House recognizes the gravity of this moment and I’m honored to partner with them for Tennessee families.” 

Lamar and Representative Karen Camper (D-Memphis) sponsored HB0829, that sought to “delete and revise various provisions of present law concerning abortion and reproduction.” According to the Tennessee General Assembly, this would have deleted criminal offenses related to public schools, the Tennessee Abortion-Inducing Drug Risk Protocol Act, and a requirement that “induced terminations or pregnancy be reported to the office of vital records,” among other things.

While this bill failed, organizations such as Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood expressed their support for the bill, stating that “all Tennesseans deserve access to the full spectrum of reproductive care, including abortion.”

The organization also voiced their support for HB1084, which proposed that the offenses related to “criminal abortions,” should not include contraceptives such as hormonal birth control and emergency contraceptives. This bill also failed.

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Governor Renews Push for Comprehensive Anti-Abortion Legislation

Lee announces strict abortion restrictions


Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Thursday that he will submit a “comprehensive pro-life” bill this legislative session that will put the state “at the forefront of protecting life.”

Surrounded by state GOP lawmakers, Lee made the announcement of the near-total abortion ban just one day after the 47th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. The governor called it a “monumental step forward in celebrating, cherishing, and defending life.”

“I believe we have a special responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of our community,” Lee said. “And no one is more vulnerable than the unborn.”

Last year’s “heartbeat bill” passed in the House but failed in the Senate. This bill has additional restrictive provisions. Lee said these provisions “make it a stronger bill” and are a part of a legal strategy. The provisions include prohibiting abortion motivated by the sex, race, or diagnosis of a disability, as well as requiring women to view their ultrasound.

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“We know that when a mother views her unborn child and hears a heartbeat, hearts and minds are changed,” Lee said of the ultrasound provision.

Following the model of a Missouri law, the bill will also specify that if the heartbeat provision is struck down in court, the abortion ban would kick in at 8, 10, or 12 weeks — the point at which bans have been upheld in court.

“My passion for developing this legislation stems from my commitment to defending the intrinsic dignity of all people,” Lee said.

Rep. William Lambert (R-Portland) is one of the lawmakers pushing the bill.

“It is reprehensible to murder a human being, period, whether that child is in the womb or it’s already drawn his or her first breath,” Lambert said. “Governor, leaders, I wish we had a bigger stage because I think this shows just how powerful this legislation is.”

Lambert said legislators will work out the details of the bill over the next few months, figuring out “exactly how we can accomplish the mission of saving millions of lives.”

Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood

Democratic lawmakers speak against governor’s proposal.


Democratic legislators quickly voiced opposition to the governor’s announcement in a press conference Thursday.

Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville called the governor’s proposal “extreme” and “divisive.”

“This isn’t even legislation at all,” Yabro said. “It’s a litigation strategy. We have real problems to solve in this state. If you went to hearings in this building, just this week we talked about the fact that we provide fewer protections for pregnant women than any other state.”

Sen. Katrina Robinson, who is from Memphis, also spoke at the press conference, saying that Thursday’s announcement is a “stage prop” and “divisive political pawn.”

“It is not a political issue,” Robinson said. “It’s a human rights issue. It’s a women’s rights issue. It’s an issue of families. It’s an issue of being human. I find it very disturbing that this is our first run of political agenda this session.”

Robinson also opposed referring to the legislation as “comprehensive” and “pro-life.”

“I don’t understand that,” she said. “How is it comprehensively pro-life if we don’t provide health care, don’t provide childcare, don’t fund education? That’s pro-life. This is not pro-life legislation.”

Robinson said with Tennessee’s high infant-mortality rate and high number of unintended and teen pregnancies, the governor should be focused on preventative care, contraception access, and policies that will provide youth with sexual education to reduce unintended pregnancies.

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Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood also responded to the governor’s announcement in an open letter to the governor and legislators.

“We, the undersigned, are called by our lived experience as parents, caregivers, and family members to stand up for the dignity and autonomy of pregnant people,” the letter reads in part. “We have lived through typical and complicated pregnancies, and we are raising children we deeply love. We oppose all attempts to criminalize and restrict abortion access.”

The letter continues saying that the proposed legislation will not eliminate abortions, “but will force pregnant people to turn to unregulated and often dangerous attempts to end their pregnancies.”

The letter also notes that the legislation would force women to become parents, including those who are survivors of rape or incest.

“Rather than force people to have babies, our state lawmakers should focus on broadly popular ideas to support new families, such as paid leave, access to affordable care, and reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers,” the letter continued.

The letter calls for lawmakers to “recognize that abortion access is a critical issue for current and future families. We trust people who are pregnant to make thoughtful, moral decisions and urge our state leaders to do the same.”

A study done by Vanderbilt University in the fall found that 54 percent of respondents believe Roe v. Wade should be upheld. The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters in Tennessee. Of the 54 percent that believe the Supreme Court decision should be upheld, 85 percent were Democrats and 32 percent were Republican.

Last year, a poll done by NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll showed that 77 percent of Americans think the Supreme Court should uphold Roe. v. Wade, while 13 percent want to see it overturned.