Tennessee Lawmakers Propose A Bill That Would Give The Father A Right To Veto An Abortion

A bill in Tennessee could be a game-changer when it comes to abortions.

Lawmakers have just introduced a bill that gives a man who gets a woman pregnant the right to veto an abortion.

The bill states if a man can prove he’s the biological father he can file a petition in court to stop the mother from having an abortion.

https://twitter.com/theangiestanton/status/1360267648928534534

"It's about protecting life, not controlling women's bodies!" https://t.co/eJMHH5Ljgu

— Elon Husk (@KrmtDfrog) February 12, 2021

The HuffPost broke the story and released these details:

A bill introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly this week would allow a man who gets a woman pregnant to request an injunction barring her from having an abortion.

The legislation, SB0494 in the Senate and HB1079 in the House, would require a court hearing to be held within 14 days of a petition being filed by the individual seeking an injunction.

At the hearing, if the man can prove that he is the biological father and that there is a “reasonable probability” that the woman would obtain an abortion, the court shall issue an injunction prohibiting her from terminating the pregnancy. Proof of parenthood requires only that the petitioner acknowledges paternity. A DNA test is not required.

If the woman violates the injunction by obtaining an abortion, the court may hold her in civil or criminal contempt. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

The legislation was sponsored by state Sen. Mark Pody (R) and state Rep. Jerry Sexton (R).

The measure would allow a man who gets a woman pregnant to request an injunction barring her from obtaining an abortion. https://t.co/meNHSAP3fl

— HuffPost UK Politics (@HuffPostUKPol) February 12, 2021

People Magazine got the scoop too:

Two Republican lawmakers in Tennessee proposed legislation this week that, if passed and if it survived court challenges, would allow fathers to file a petition to prevent women with whom they conceived a fetus from having an abortion.

The proposed law, SB0494 in the state Senate and HB1079 in the state House of Representatives, would let a man “petition a court with jurisdiction over domestic relations matters to request an injunction to prohibit a woman who is pregnant with the person’s unborn child from obtaining an abortion.”

The bill also would legalize the court to “issue the injunction” at a hearing where both parties are present, as long as the petitioner is the biological father of the child — although no DNA test is required — and “there is a reasonable probability that the respondent will seek an abortion prior to giving birth to the unborn child” and “the petitioner has executed a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity, pursuant to § 68-3-305(f) [the law regulating birth certificates], that is not subject to being rescinded,” the latter of which is only required if the parties are not married.

What do you think, should men get to veto an abortion?

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