NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In light of a potential reversal of Roe v. Wade, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expressed he would like to see the federal precedent overturned.
A draft of the majority opinion on the law from the Supreme Court of the United States leaked Monday night to Politico, with Chief Justice John Roberts verifying the authenticity of the document Tuesday morning. The majority of justices wrote in the document they would overturn the law because abortion wasn't outlined as a right in the U.S. Constitution.
In Tennessee, a reversal would mean a trigger law would go into play after 2019 legislation from the Tennessee General Assembly. The law makes no exception for rape or incest, only noting an abortion could happen if it prevented the death of a pregnant woman.
"I am concerned by the leak and any attempt to thwart justice," Lee said. "If the federal courts return full authority to the states, Tennessee’s laws will automatically provide the maximum possible protection and offer a glimmer of redemption as America reconciles our troubled past. We are talking about families in crisis — not isolated clinical procedures — and our state will continue to provide protection, resources and care for both mother and child."
The court will meet in the summer to make its final determination.
