Contrary to the scurrilous accusation of abortion advocates, Tennesseans are supporting mothers while protecting and caring for our most vulnerable citizens.
T ennessee has always been a pro-life state. Before the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Roe v. Wade, there were laws on the books that protected unborn children and their mothers from the tragedy and violence of abortion. On January 22, 1973, legalized abortion was forced on the people of Tennessee and on every other state in the nation.
For almost 50 years, the abortion industry was allowed unfettered access to exploit women and girls, go behind the backs of parents, conceal the truth about the humanity of the unborn child, and profit from the deaths of untold thousands of unborn children — a tragic loss for our state. When the Supreme Court sent the responsibility of protecting unborn children back to the states, Tennessee was ready. In 2019, through the prompting of Tennessee Right to Life, members of the General Assembly passed the Human Life Protection Act, which would restore the pre-Roe regulations if (and when) Roe was overturned and abortion would be illegal once again in Tennessee except to save the life of the mother.
On June 24, 2022, that day finally came. The Tennessee law was triggered into effect, and now the state has some of the strongest protections in the nation for unborn children and their mothers. It is estimated that more than 24,000 children and their mothers have been saved from abortion in Tennessee since the Human Life Protection Act took effect. With this kind of success, it is inevitable that abortion activists focus their attacks on the sincerity and commitment of Tennesseans to protect children and their mothers.
Those who claim that abortion-free states care only about babies before they are born are either misinformed or purposely misconstruing the facts. Abortion activists use such distortions to further their agenda of trying to bring abortion back to pro-life states.
After nearly 50 years of abortion on demand, Tennessee lawmakers and citizens can finally rebuild a culture of life. First and foremost, lawmakers have put an end to legalized child killing, but that’s not all. Far from it. It’s been only two and a half years since the Dobbs decision, and Tennesseans are working to ensure that mothers have what they need to choose life and to meet the needs of their children so they can thrive, especially in those early years.
Governor Bill Lee has shown his commitment to helping Tennessee families through his Strong Families Initiative Grants. In 2024, he appropriated more than $20 million for life-affirming organizations, including pregnancy centers, to help meet the needs of mothers and their children. The grants are also available to organizations that support Tennesseans considering adoption, offer workforce assistance, and offer housing assistance to help moms in crisis find a safe and stable place to live. The goal is to make sure every mother is supported before and after the birth of her child.
Lee also established the free-diapers program for families on TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, to receive 100 free diapers every month for two years. For those up to 20 years of age, the state’s TennCare Kids division offers free services, which include well-child checkups, dental and medical services, and behavioral health services. These services and programs are there to help Tennessee mothers and children long after birth.
Funds from the sale of the Choose Life specialty license plates also help pregnancy centers and life-affirming efforts across the state. Last year, more than $60,000 was disbursed to pregnancy centers from this fund, including $25,000 to the pregnancy resource centers in areas that were affected by the floods after Hurricane Helene. The funds were also used for billboards promoting a hotline number for women who may have taken the abortion pill and then changed their mind. Nationally, more than 6,000 children have been saved through the abortion-pill reversal protocol. Tennessee women deserve to know about this life-saving possibility.
These state programs and measures are pro-life in every meaning of the word.
Through the years when Roe was the law of the land, Tennessee’s nonprofits worked heroically to pass protective legislation and to reach and support mothers and their families as they faced unexpected pregnancies. That work continues and is expanding to meet needs in this post-Roe environment.
Laura Messick, president of the Tennessee Pregnancy Center Network, has been involved in lifesaving work for more than 38 years and knows the importance of these centers and the service they provide to Tennessee. She notes that
across the state of Tennessee, a network of almost 35 pregnancy resource centers is providing services for pregnant women and their families. Ranging from medical services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STI testing and treatment, early pre-natal care, well-woman care, and HCG testing, to material assistance beginning with maternity needs, baby equipment, diapers and wipes, clothes from newborn to toddler sizes, car seats, strollers, and baby beds, PRCs are there to provide the assistance and care that women need.
These centers offer hope to those who find their situation hopeless, and that is key.
A new nonprofit initiative, Her Plan, is also helping to grow a life-affirming network in Tennessee. Often, when a community already offers support and assistance, it is still difficult for a mother to navigate everything when she is trying to take care of herself and her child. Her Plan identifies and compiles a list of resources available to expectant mothers and then connects those agencies so that each can make needed referrals for women in need — referrals for services including prenatal and postnatal health care, mental health care, housing options, material and legal help, child-care options, programs for recovery from addiction and violence, and help for those times when a baby receives a life-limiting diagnosis. Currently the online resource list and mobile app include nearly 400 listings in Tennessee and enable a woman or agency to easily search, find, and connect with the resources they need. Her Plan is creating a strong safety net for pregnant women and their children.
The Volunteer State has always answered the call when needed. Tennessee citizens know that not all solutions come from the government. The responsibility to protect mothers and their children lies with each Tennessean. That is why churches, lawmakers, nonprofit organizations, and individuals are all playing a role in the quest to make abortion not only illegal but also unthinkable.
Tennessee is saying No to abortion and Yes to life. After 50 years of abortion on demand, there is a cultural shift, and we are grateful. Tennesseans are supporting mothers while protecting and caring for our most vulnerable citizens. The hope is that other states will turn away from the death and destruction of abortion, choose life, and join Tennessee in building a true culture of life.