Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi says a chancery court ruling that clarified when women are sick enough to get an abortion doesn’t go far enough, and hopes the issue, along with Tennessee’s near-total abortion ban, drives people to the polls to flip certain Republican-held seats this election.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi says a chancery court ruling that clarified when women are sick enough to get an abortion doesn’t go far enough, and hopes the issue, along with Tennessee’s near-total abortion ban, drives people to the polls to flip certain Republican-held seats this election.
Late last Thursday, a three-judge panel in Davidson County chancery court temporarily blocked Tennessee from disciplining doctors for providing medically necessary abortions and outlined the specific medical conditions that qualify for an exception to Tennessee’s near abortion ban, because the judges ruled the state’s law was too vague.
Ashley Coffield, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Tennessee and North Mississippi and a board member of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood told reporters Tuesday that while the ruling does provide clarity for the specific conditions named, it doesn’t cover every medical condition that threatens the life of the mother during pregnancy.
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“We had a patient who was in heart failure. The pregnancy was fine, but the pregnancy would have killed her,” Coffield said. “We had patients who were receiving chemotherapy for cancer. The pregnancies were fine, but the chemotherapy would have damaged the fetus and they wanted to continue with the chemotherapy so that they could live and be there for their families and their other children. Those kinds of medical emergencies are not named in the lawsuit.”
Coffield and TN Advocates for Planned Parenthood blame Tennessee’s Republican supermajority for passing one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, which allows exceptions only in medical emergencies. Coffield argues the law doesn’t reflect what the majority of Tennessee voters want, citing surveys, including a recent non-partisan Vanderbilt University poll that found 75% of registered Tennessee voters who participated support exceptions for rape and incest.
TN Advocates for Planned Parenthood is using the issue to drive people to the polls. They hope Tennessee voters flip certain Republican-held seats and weaken the Republican supermajority this election.
“A Republican majority is better than a Republican supermajority. It just is,” Coffield said. “A Republican supermajority means they can do things without the other party even being present, and that’s just not democracy.”
Planned Parenthood TN and North MS tripled their investments this election and spent close to $1 million in phone banks, canvassing, and paid communications to campaign for the cause.
“You don’t need a democratic trifecta to change politics in Tennessee. You need to deliver consequences for politicians who voted for Tennessee’s abortion ban; who have voted against exceptions even for raped children,” Coffield said.
News 2 reached out to the four conservative lawmakers whose seats Planned Parenthood is trying to flip. In response, Rep. Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville) called views on abortion, like Planned Parenthood’s, dangerously extreme in the following statement:
“Human life is sacred at every stage and we are unwavering in our commitment to protect the defenseless while ensuring women facing medical emergencies have access to the care they need,” Rep. Davis said in the statement to News 2. “Planned Parenthood’s tactics shamelessly seek to dehumanize children and disrespect women. Tennessee Republicans will continue to resist dangerous extremism that glorifies ending the lives of innocent human beings and advocates for lawfully sanctioned infanticide that denies care to newborns who survive abortions.”
Other Republican legislative leaders previously told News 2 they don’t believe the law needs to be changed.
“I think the current law is adequate and protects the life of the mother,” Lt. Gov. and Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally said. “I think that’s the big thing that we wanted to do. I’d be satisfied leaving the current law where it is.”
“I fully support the law that we have on the books right now relative to abortion,” Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said to News 2 in Jan. 2024. “I believe life begins at conception and should be protected.”
However, last year, Speaker of the House, Cameron Sexton told News 2 he believes “a lot of members” of the General Assembly are in favor of adding exceptions.
“We did the life of the mother [exception] a year or so ago, so that got put in. I think there are members who would like to go in that direction. We’ll see,” Sexton said in a previous interview with News 2.