Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On Tuesday, March 10, the House Population Health Subcommittee killed a bill which would have provided equal protections under the law for unborn children when no committee member would make a motion to hear the bill, thereby letting it die without an explanation from the bill sponsor or citizen input.
HB0570 by Rep. Jody Barrett would have applied the same standards of justice and enforcement for the unborn that exist for the homicide or assault of born persons. It asserted that “innocent human life, created in the image of God, should be equally protected under the laws from fertilization of natural death, and “all preborn children should be protected with the same criminal and civil laws protecting the lives of born persons.”
Advocates against the bill claimed all women who had abortions would be given the death penalty, but Rep. Barrett and other organizations like the Foundation to Abolish Abortion (FAA) provided the correct context and interpretation of the bill and corrected misinformation about the bill’s legislative status as the committee meeting approached.
The bill gained the support of several influential organizations and community leaders including pastors, podcasters, CEO of the White Rose Resistance Seth Gruber, President of the Southern Baptist Convention Clint Pressley, and founder of Tennessee Stands Gary Humble. Thousands of Tennesseans also sent emails to committee members, and reportedly over 200 people attended the hearing in person to show their support or testify on the bill.
But no member of the House Population Health Subcommittee made a motion on the bill so it could be presented. When a bill receives no motion, it is declared “Failed” and considered dead, and citizen testimony goes unheard from proponents both for and against the measure.
Rep.michele.carringer@capitol.tn.gov; rep.shaundelle.brooks@capitol.tn.gov; rep.john.ray.clemmons@capitol.tn.gov; rep.john.gillespie@capitol.tn.gov; rep.esther.helton@capitol.tn.gov; rep.sabi.kumar@capitol.tn.gov; rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov; rep.paul.sherrell@capitol.tn.gov; rep.bryan.terry@capitol.tn.gov; rep.ron.travis@capitol.tn.gov
After the bill was killed, those in the crowd opposing the bill could be heard cheering, clapping, and chanting “Separate church and state” so loudly that the subcommittee chair had the room cleared, forcing all observers out of the chamber and closing the remainder of the meeting to the public, regardless of if they were being disruptive.
Rep. Barrett provided comments on the day’s events to The Tennessee Conservative, writing, “I am disappointed that not a single member of the Population Health Subcommittee was willing to give a motion for our bill to be heard. If the committee had heard the bill they would have learned that our legislature has already codified with the passage of Tennessee’s trigger ban law that ‘The state has a legitimate, substantial, and compelling interest in protecting the rights of all human beings, including the fundamental and absolute right of unborn human beings to life, liberty, and ALL RIGHTS PROTECTED BY THE FOURTEENTH AND NINTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.’
They would have also been reminded of Item #8 on the Tennessee Republican Party’s Guiding Principles which reads, ‘We assert the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, and we affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life, which cannot be infringed.’ Unfortunately, the law in Tennessee permits a mother to terminate the life of the human being in her womb without fear of any legal liability or criminal culpability. That is unequivocally an infringement on the right of that [unborn] human’s right to life.”
And the FAA told The Tennessee Conservative, “House Bill 570 has failed after members of the Tennessee House Population Health Subcommittee folded to pressure from left-wing media and pro-life establishment groups. Tennessee Right to Life also reportedly worked to oppose the bill. None of the Republicans on the Subcommittee were courageous enough to motion for House Bill 570 to be heard. Because of their cowardice and disobedience to God, who they are commanded to serve in their elected offices, thousands of preborn babies will be legally murdered on Tennessee soil over the next year.
But God means for good what man means for evil. We are already watching hundreds of Christians mobilizing to support future efforts to establish equal protection of the laws for preborn babies in Tennessee. This battle is far from over, and by the grace of God, the work to abolish abortion in Tennessee will continue to advance in the years to come.”
With the failure of the bill in the House, it is unlikely Sen. Mark Pody will pursue the companion legislation in the other chamber as he previously stated he would wait on the House results before taking further action in the Senate.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
