Image Credit: Governor Bill Lee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Governor Bill Lee has signed the “Fertility and Contraceptive Protection Act” into law, ignoring the cries for a veto by state lawmakers, grassroots organizations, and conservative constituents who claim the bill is a Trojan horse which undermines many Tennessee pro-life policies and laws.
HB0533 was presented as a benign act to secure a “right” to seek all fertility treatments in the state, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other forms of assisted reproduction, and the ability to obtain any form of contraception, but raised some questions as to its necessity as there are no prohibitions or restrictions on either of those in Tennessee law.
As the bill moved through the committee process, Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood-District 61) exposed its pitfalls and potential consequences, calling the legislation “dangerous” for its disregard of both the state and scientific definitions of “unborn child” which say an unborn child is a child from the moment of conception until birth.
It was also revealed during the bill’s House floor session that it was being supported by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, an additional red flag for many conservative Representatives, especially as all 24 House Democrats voted in favor.
Tennessee Stands took to social media to inform constituents of Lee’s decision, posting, “BREAKING: We’ve just confirmed that despite the call from conservative legislators, churches, and pro-life organizations across the state to veto HB 533, which codifies a right to abortifacients like Plan B, @GovBillLee has signed the bill.”
Numerous other organizations across the state, including Abolish Abortion Tennessee, CatholicVote, and Tennessee Right to Life campaigned against the bill during its process through the legislature and called on Governor Lee to veto the bill and return it to the General Assembly after its passage.
Abolish Abortion TN reposted the message from Tennessee Stands and added, “This will surely bring even more of the judgement of God on our state. We would like to thank all who fought against this bill and petitioned Governor Lee to veto it. God knows and sees.”
CatholicVote wrote in their legislative alert, “IVF may seem pro-life on the surface, but the reality is grim: For every human embryo born through IVF, multiple of his or her siblings were destroyed. There are currently no restrictions on how many embryos can be created through IVF. The number of embryos killed every year via IVF is actually higher than the annual number of abortions.”
After HB0533’s passage, TN Right to Life issued a press release calling for a veto and included a report with several examples of fertility and abortion clinics dubbed “houses of horror” because of gross under-regulation, negligence, and deceit.
The organization also issued a statement expressing “extreme disappointment” with the Governor, stating, “Pro-Life Tennesseans are frustrated by the Governor signing this bill, especially after contacting his office to voice their concerns and letting him know that anti-life organizations supported it, including Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. The governor’s signature indicating his full endorsement of this bill casts doubt on his pro-life convictions. He could have allowed the bill to go into law without his signature. Instead, he turned his back on those who trusted him to do the right thing.”
Eleven conservative state lawmakers also banded together and sent the Governor a letter requesting the bill be vetoed which read, in part, “We are convinced that a number of our colleagues would have voted differently had all aspects of these complex and confusing issues been thoroughly and openly discussed. The fact that legislators did not individually investigate the implications of this bill more fully is something that we all have to own. However, our Founders set up our system of government not only to protect against an abuse of power but to protect against human error. We, therefore, urge you to exercise your Constitutional authority to veto this legislation. If we, as a government, authorize the slaughter of even one innocent life, God will judge us collectively. The power to save lies in your hands. May the living water now flow from your pen. Sincerely and in reverence to Almighty God.”
The letter was signed by Republican Representatives Chris Todd, Jody Barrett, Monty Fritts, Michele Reneau, Todd Warner, Kip Capley, Scott Cepicky, Timothy Hill, Brock Martin, Ed Butler, and Aron Maberry.
While the Governor has generally allowed legislation with which he disagrees to simply become law without his signature, by putting pen to paper with HB0533 he has signaled his support for the measure, something to which his pro-life constituents are clearly not taking kindly.
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.
