Tennessee Lawmakers Introduce Bill Allowing Fathers Say in Abortion

Two Tennessee lawmakers introduced legislation Friday that would allow the father of an unborn child to file a petition for an injunction to block a woman from aborting the couple’s child.

State Sen. Mark Pody (R) introduced SBO494 in the Senate and Rep. Jerry Sexton (R) presented a companion measure, HB1079, in the Tennessee House.

As introduced, the legislation would allow “a person to petition a court for an injunction to prohibit a woman who is pregnant with the person’s unborn child from obtaining an abortion.”

The bill would also require the petitioner “to execute a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity that is not subject to being rescinded or challenged.”

“If he can prove to the courts that he is the father, the biological father, then he has rights to what’s going on with his son or daughter,” Pody said, according to FOX17 News:

The Tennessee senator added that the mother of the unborn child would also be given the opportunity to argue why she should proceed with an abortion, including medical reasons.

Hearings related to the injunction would be required to be held within 14 days following the filing of the petition.

“In this case, we’re saying that we want that father who is just as much of a parent as that mother is, it took two of them to create this human being, and we believe that they should have that opportunity to raise that child,” Pody said.

An official of a group that advocates for Planned Parenthood, which is a major player in the transgender industry and promotes ending the recognition of the two sexes, commented on the legislation. Francie Hunt, executive director of the Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, used the word “people” to describe someone who is pregnant, rather than the word “woman” in her comment about the bill.
“I think it’s just a real slap in the face to pregnant people and a dishonor of their role as pregnant people to have sovereignty over their own bodies,” Hunt said. “No one should have veto power over your own bodily autonomy, that’s the bottom line.”