U.S. District Court Blocks Tennessee Abortion Ban

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has issued a preliminary injunction blocking a recently-passed bill in the state which made it a felony to perform or induce an abortion upon a pregnant woman “whose unborn child has a fetal heartbeat”.

The U.S. District Court’s decision here referenced Roe v. Wade, which declared that “a woman’s decision to have an abortion was constitutionally protected under the right to privacy found… in the U.S. Constitution”. As such, the court says Roe created a mandate for any abortion laws and cases in the future “to be resolved uniformly, at the national level”.

Tennessee’s abortion ban bill is similar to recent bills passed in states like Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, and others; all of which have been met with legal opposition.