Then: A Knoxville lawmaker proposed a bill that would create a felony charge for abortion trafficking, aimed at adults who help minors access abortion medication or travel out of Tennessee to terminate a pregnancy.
Republican Rep. Jason Zachary said he hoped the bill would make sure parents are involved if their child wants to seek an abortion and discourage other adults from intervening.
(READ MORE: Tennessee bill would make it a felony for adults to help minors seek abortions)
“A parent and guardian, if they choose to make that decision with their child, while of course I don’t agree with it, that’s between them and the child,” Zachary said previously. “But no adults should prey on a vulnerable adolescent, a vulnerable minor, and facilitate an abortion for that minor.”
Abortion has been banned in Tennessee since 2022, with limited exceptions. Before the ban, minors seeking abortions already needed parental consent or a waiver from a judge, according to Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi.