Sixth Circuit Holds Unconstitutional Major Part of Governor Lee's 2020 Signature Pro-Life Legislation
Feb 3, 2022
A federal appeals court on Wednesday once again reinstated a Tennessee ban on abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, or because of the race or gender of the fetus. The ruling also kept a six-week abortion ban blocked.
Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee enacted the restrictions last year as part of a sweeping anti-abortion measure. The law gained national attention because it banned abortion as early as six weeks — making it one of the strictest in the country — but it included several other anti-abortion components.
In Wednesday’s decision, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the request by the Tennessee attorney general’s office to reverse course and temporarily allow the reason ban to be enforced. The 6th Circuit had blocked that provision in September after previously allowing it to go into effect in 2020.
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Appeals Court Blocks Tennessee Down Syndrome Abortion Ban
Appeals court restores Tennessee Down syndrome abortion ban