In light of U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe and Casey, supersedes Heartbeat Law
By Dave Andrusko
Nashville– Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III sent a letter Tuesday to the Tennessee Code Commission formally notifying the Commission that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe and Casey “return[s] abortion regulation to the states.”
While the Supreme Court handed down its Dobbs. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision on June 24, the Supreme Court did not complete its official judgment until Tuesday. Slatery said, “Thirty days from today, on August 25th, 2022, Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act will come into effect.”
The “trigger” law, which ban nearly all abortions, supersedes the state’s ban on abortion when the baby’s heartbeat can be detected.
“The six-week ban has already had a significant chilling effect on abortion access across the state, with the majority of abortion providers pulling back on services in recent weeks,” according to Melissa Brown and Maria Timms of The Tennessean.