Tennessee now has one of the longest abortion waiting periods in America

On Monday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) signed a bill that will require Tennessee women to wait 48 hours before obtaining an abortion. While Tennessee is the 27th state to impose such measures, only four other states have longer abortion waiting periods.

Brain Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life, said in a statement that women "deserve relevant details and adequate time to make fully informed decisions" before having an abortion. Abortion-rights advocates, meanwhile, say that waiting periods create unnecessary burdens for women, especially if they don't live near abortion clinics.

Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah have 72-hour abortion waiting periods, while Alabama, like Tennessee, has a 48-hour abortion waiting period. The Tennessee law will be effective on July 1.

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