NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After a handful of abortion bills didn't make it far in the Senate Judiciary Committee, one bill could provide a legal form of pregnancy termination if it would save the mother's life.
Sen. John Stevens, R-Huntingdon, told NewsChannel 5 after the committee met that one bill rolled would be one that would allow doctors not to choose between the life of a child and the mother. He said bills of this nature can roll sometimes because members are trying to find the language that will garner the strongest support.
"From my perspective, we've heard from the medical community," Stevens said. "Their concerns are doctors are fearful that they will be placed in a situation of saving the life of the mother and facing criminal prosecution for an ethical, medical decision. We are dealing with a criminal penalty here. We want physicians to know what is and what isn't a crime."
He said the bill language to work on the life of the mother carveout would clarify what the law is for doctors. However, sexual assault victims' advocates have tried to work on building legislation that would make abortion available for rape and incest victims. But Stevens said he doesn't foresee that happening.
"There's not a situation where rape or incest would be put into law," he said.
Additionally in the committee, Democratic lawmakers from Memphis both tried to appeal to the committee with personal stories from their own lives. One story included London Lamar, D-Memphis, who shared her own pregnancy story that involved the death of her son. She put forth a bill that would have provided an umbrella of language to make abortion legal again in the state.
"There is no group that can take you out of office for doing the right thing. This isn't political. This is a health care bill. I believe in doing the right thing, not the partisan thing," Lamar said.
Her bill was ultimately voted down.
An additional bill that did pass on to the calendar would prohibit funds from any government form to help pregnant people receive an abortion out of state. Metro Council toyed with the idea of allowing that back in the early fall.
"This isn't appropriate," Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, said. "Abortions are illegal. They shouldn't be using taxpayer funds."
