Tennessee bill would allow fathers to prevent abortions

Authored by fox32chicago.com and submitted by beastlyblood

Two Tennessee lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow the alleged father of an unborn child to file a court injunction and prevent the mother from getting an abortion.

The bill, which was introduced by Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, and Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, states that a person can "petition a court for an injunction to prohibit a woman who is pregnant with the person's unborn child from obtaining an abortion," according to both House Bill 1079 and Senate Bill 949.

Fourteen days after the petition is filed, the motion to stop the abortion would be decided at a court hearing where both parties can present evidence.

FILE - Fetal ultrasound of a 4-month-old fetus.

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Another stipulation of the bill is the person who is seeking to stop the abortion does not need to prove he is the biological father, meaning DNA evidence is not needed.

The bill states all the petitioner needs is "a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity that is not subject to being rescinded or challenged."

FOX TV Stations reached out to both Pody and Sexton for comment.

The proposed bill does not specify if instances of rape apply.

Meanwhile, in South Carolina, other proposed abortion legislation that’s drawn attention is also making its way to approval.

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The proposal would likely ban almost all abortions in the state. It moved closer to final approval in a committee vote split along party lines last week.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 15-8 to pass the "South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act." The bill has already passed the Senate and the governor promises he will sign it, although the law is likely to be the subject of lengthy court battles before it could take effect.

The proposal would require doctors to use an ultrasound to try to detect a fetal heartbeat if they think pregnant women are at least eight weeks along. If they find a heartbeat and the pregnancy is not the result of rape or incest, an abortion cannot be performed unless the mother’s life is in danger.

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A fetal heartbeat can be detected as soon as six weeks after conception and before many women know they are pregnant.

About a dozen other states have passed similar bills, although they are tied up in court challenges. The main sponsor of the bill in South Carolina, Rep. John McCravy, R-Greenwood, said during his explanation of the bill that he expects the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its 1973 abortion rights decision because of recent conservative justices added by former President Donald Trump.

"The Constitution in our nation has devolved into whatever nine justices say it means," McCravy said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

blahblahblahwords on February 19th, 2021 at 14:25 UTC »

Pregnancy for some women can lead to a health crisis. Forcing women to have children and manage health issues they aren't able to is going to put a larger burden on them and the government systems that will ultimately have to support them. High risk pregnancies are a thing especially in a country without easy access to healthcare for all persons.

madameyoink on February 19th, 2021 at 13:05 UTC »

Oh great: the person who is seeking to stop the abortion does not need to prove he is the biological father

Who will be raising these children? Supporting them? Will the state be passing government-sponsored paid maternity leave into law? Can the mother just state she's not the mother (no biological proof needed) and get abortion meds for "pcos"? The questions are endless.

What about the dudes who think if a child isn't biologically theirs then they shouldn't be obligated to support it? Do they stop the abortion and then just leave without any obligation to support the child? Because I'm pretty sure they can get out of child support through a dna test if it's not theirs.

Can we at least live out our lives on couches being fed grapes like the indolent human incubators we are? Organic grapes please and I like palm leaf fans as long as they're sustainably harvested.

Can we please kick out these shit for brains hysterical people who grasp at everything they can to control women? If you want a fucking baby, get a fucking surrogate, dickface.

I shouldn't have to be thankful that I live in a blue state and don't really know any people like this.

Under his eye.

AshEliseB on February 19th, 2021 at 12:55 UTC »

I hope they are happy with the father having 100% custody.