Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam Signs Bill to Ban Late-Term Abortions on Unborn Children

Life News ^ | June 21, 2017 | Steven Ertelt

[Morgana]

Last month, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a pro-life bill to ban late-term abortions in Tennessee. Today he and pro-life leaders held a ceremonial bill signing at Legislative Plaza.

The Tennessee Infants Protection Act (SB 1180 / HB 1189) establishes a presumption of fetal viability beginning at 24 weeks gestation and prohibits abortion except in medical emergencies once viability has been confirmed. The new legislation also requires a medical assessment for fetal viability before an abortion may be performed on unborn children at least 20 weeks old.

Tennessee Right to Life celebrates the bill’s passage. “Tennessee is a pro-life state and Tennesseans strongly support common sense public policies that affirm and protect human life,” said Brian Harris, the organization’s president.”

The group told LifeNews: “We thank the Legislature and Governor Haslam for their exceptional leadership in supporting laws that build and strengthen a culture of life in our communities, state and nation.”

The Tennessee Infants Protection Act would protect viable, late-term unborn babies from abortion in the state. It would prohibit abortions at 24 weeks, and require abortion clinics to assess whether an unborn child is viable starting at 20 weeks. If the unborn baby is determined to be viable at that point, that abortion also would be illegal. Doctors could face felony charges for violating the law.

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The bill strengthens protections for unborn children and abortion-vulnerable women and girls by preventing elective abortions, except in rare instances, after an unborn child is determined to be viable (able to survive with or without medical assistance.) The provision also establishes a presumption of viability at 24 weeks of pregnancy (LMP) and requires a medical assessment to gauge viability of any unborn child when an abortion is sought beginning at 20 weeks of gestational age.

“I have reviewed the final language of SB 1180/HB 1189 and its potential impact,” Haslam’s signing statement said. Here’s more:

“The Tennessee Infants Protection Act prohibits purposely performing post-viability abortions, except when a physician determines in his or her good faith medical judgment that either the unborn child is not viable or that the procedure is necessary to prevent serious risk to the mother.

“Rather than being a ’20-week abortion ban,’ as some have described it, the bill requires physicians to assess viability beginning at 20 weeks gestational age, absent a medical emergency.”

Haslam noted that Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery has said he would defend the law.

Moreover, Haslam said, the U.S. Supreme Court “has not yet decided the mental health exception issue discussed in the Attorney General’s opinion. For those reasons, I have signed this legislation into law.”

[Morgana]

More winning!!!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

*APPLAUSE*

[Mr. Douglas]

So, we’re about to find out which side of the SCOTUS’s toast gets the butter.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’ll be interesting! :)

[Morgana]

pING

[Tennessee Nana]

Thanks for the PING Morgana...

Fingies crossed the wording was good enough to stand against the expected onslaught by the ijits...

[Strac6]

Most anti-abortion bills have little chance of surviving a court challenge.

This on the other hand does stand a good chance of surviving a SCOTUS test because it is not a prohibition and it also raises the question of individual viability. This could go 6-3.

The feminazis will scream anyway.

[Architect of Avalon]

Legislation of this kind promotes the position that babies between conception and five or six months are less human, less innocent, and less worthy of legal protection.

[bkopto]

and prohibits abortion except in medical emergencies...

Look for the abortion-worshipping left to re-define what constitutes a "medical emergency". That loose definition will then be upheld by the courts.

[Deplorable American1776]

Yes, winning - for the children...

[RKBA Democrat]

Nice. I think that we save more kids through offering free ultrasounds but hey, it’s a win. I’ll take it and be thankful.

[AuH2ORepublican]

While our ultimate goal is to prevent human beings from being deprived of the right to life without due process of law from the moment of conception until natural death, I would note that it is the *absence* of this law that promotes the position that babies *at any time prior to birth* are less human, less innocent, and less worthy of legal protection. This is as good a measure as we can adopt right now (and not get struck down right away) while SCOTUS has four pro-abortion Justices and a fifth Justice—Anthony Kennedy—who consistently has voted against overturning Roe v. Wade but has permitted certain exceptions. We are getting very close to getting five Justices who recognize that the Constitution does not prohibit states from protecting innocent human life, but we aren’t there yet. Let’s keep praying and, in the meantime, let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the good.

[OrangeHoof]

We stress this is only regarding the unborn children...

(Journalism fail example #13487623456219876...)

[Hardastarboard]

Exactly. This is what happens when the editors are lazy, stupid, incompetent, or on vacation.

[jacknhoo]

God bless and protect all of the ProLife legislstors and governor Haslam, their families and loved ones. Amen.

[TennTuxedo]

Haslam is a Jeb Bush-wing neverTrumper.

[Seruzawa]

So can they still do abortions on born children?

What a stupid headline.

[Elsie]

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam Signs Bill to Ban Late-Term Abortions on Unborn Children

WHAT??!!??

The bill leaves the BORN ones still at risk??

[Elsie]

This on the other hand does stand a good chance of surviving a SCOTUS test because it is not a prohibition and it also raises the question of individual viability.

---

                         United States Declaration of Independence

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,

that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

 

 

That's only IF you are LUCKY enough to survive the 1 in 4 odds of being killed by a serial killer before birth.

[Elsie]

It is a FACT; in the United States of America; that the position that babies *at any time prior to birth* are less human, less innocent, and less worthy of legal protection. than a BIRD!!!

---

I'd like to thank the United States Government for protecting me and my kind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see, 40 years ago, my odds of making it out of the egg, alive, were very poor; about 80% of us died. 

 (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=rachel-carson-silent-spring-1972-ddt-ban-birds-thrive)

 

 

But a lady discovered our plight and wrote a book that addressed our problem,

and, in 1972, a law was ammended protecting us even further. (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/protect/laws.html)

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I find strange is that the same government passed a law the very next year that allowed for killing

of unborn, and apparently unwanted, humans.  Little ones still nestled safely in their Mother's womb.

Around 25% of them are dying before birth - on average nearly 3,300 - every day of the year.

 

 

I hear that by now, somewhere around 58 MILLION of them have perished.

Wouldn't that kind of mess up the humans plans for growth, and welfare, and

retirement?

 

 

 

 

 

Strange birds; these Homo Sapiens.  Perhaps they'll come to their senses

before they are ALL dead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to thank the United States Government for protecting me and my kind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see, 40 years ago, my odds of making it out of the egg, alive, were very poor; about 80% of us died. 

 (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=rachel-carson-silent-spring-1972-ddt-ban-birds-thrive)

 

 

But a lady discovered our plight and wrote a book that addressed our problem,

and, in 1972, a law was ammended protecting us even further. (http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/protect/laws.html)

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I find strange is that the same government passed a law the very next year that allowed for killing

of unborn, and apparently unwanted, humans.  Little ones still nestled safely in their Mother's womb.

Around 25% of them are dying before birth - on average nearly 3,300 - every day of the year.

 

 

I hear that by now, somewhere around 58 MILLION of them have perished.

Wouldn't that kind of mess up the humans plans for growth, and welfare, and

retirement?

 

 

 

 

 

Strange birds; these Homo Sapiens.  Perhaps they'll come to their senses

before they are ALL dead!