‘That sounds like The Handmaid’s Tale’: TN Senate Republicans pass bill restricting travel for abortions for minors
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Soon in Tennessee, if you help a minor across state lines for an abortion and you’re not their parent or legal guardian, you could be charged with a felony.
“This bill just protects parents’ rights to make a determination about an underage pregnancy,” Sen. Paul Rose (R-Covington), the bill’s sponsor, said during Senate session Thursday.
But since the bill doesn’t allow for anyone other than a parent or legal guardian – or someone with their permission – to help a minor across state lines, if a single father rapes his daughter, she would have no option other than to go to him.
“That sounds like The Handmaid’s Tale to me,” Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) said.
But Republicans pushed the bill through anyway. When asked if they felt like they were trying to control people’s lives, they seemed a little surprised.
“No, I don’t think so,” Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) said. “I think we still want to make sure the laws of the state are enforced, and there are no loopholes in those laws.”
Of course, Democrats had a different thought.
“Absolutely, I’ve said this over and over again. We’re living in a totalitarian state,” Campbell said. “We are living in a state where our freedoms are being taken away.”
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Several Democrats also argued the language of the bill is so vague, even just discussing with a minor the possibility of crossing state lines for an abortion could land you behind bars.
The bill says you cannot ‘recruit’ or ‘harbor’ a minor for a procedure out of state.
“That language is pretty obviously intended to be both nebulous and to reach conduct that we know we can’t regulate. Like we can’t regulate interstate travel as a state legislature, that is unquestionably unconstitutional,” Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) said.
Democrats also filed amendments to clarify that the bill would not include contraceptives or disposing of embryos and allow for someone close to or related to a minor to help them get an abortion. Republicans batted down both of those attempts, both with minimal debate.
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The Senate also passed a similar bill this week around gender-affirming care. That bill would also create a felony for people who help minors out of state for care.
“We’ve had two bills in two days that explicitly try to regulate how people talk to people,” Yarbro said.
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