Tennessee lawmakers are dredging up an old 'fetal heartbeat' bill with the hope of it reaching the Supreme Court
Tennessee might join the growing number of GOP-led states with harsh abortion bans.
The state tried and failed earlier this year to pass a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. But now, it's seeking to pass an even more restrictive bill, with state Senate Judiciary Committee testimonies beginning Monday over whether to enact a ban on abortions from the time a woman learns she is pregnant, CBS News reports.
Tennessee's Republican-dominated House passed its so-called "fetal heartbeat" bill earlier this year, but it lost traction in the state Senate as conservatives debated how to enact an abortion ban. The bill has since been revamped to effectively be a total ban on abortions, though it's biggest goal isn't to end abortion procedures in the state. As one state senator told CBS News, the Senate wants to see court challenges to the bill and eventually get it in front of the Supreme Court to disrupt previous rulings protecting abortion procedures.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While Tennessee failed, several other states did pass fetal heartbeat bills earlier this year, including Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ohio. The bill would ban abortions after a fetus's heartbeat can be detected, typically around six weeks. They were all explicit attempts to bring the Roe v. Wade decision back in front of the Supreme Court.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
'Without mandatory testing, bird flu will continue circulating at farms across the country'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Khan supporters converge on Islamabad
Speed Read Protesters clashing with Pakistani authorities are demanding the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published