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“With all eyes on the devastating effect of the Texas abortion ban, this is a welcome news for Tennesseans and the rule of law.”
On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit blocked two Tennessee laws—one banning abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy and another banning abortion for certain reasons, including race, gender or genetic anomaly. The six-week abortion ban was previously blocked by a lower court, but the “reasons ban” has been in effect since November 2020.
“Today is a huge win for pregnant people in Tennessee,” said Rabia Muqaddam, staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “These bans would dangerously prevent patients from getting care, and politicians should not get to decide what is an acceptable reason for seeking an abortion.”
The Sixth Circuit issued a preliminary injunction blocking both bans based on a high likelihood that after a full hearing courts will find they violate the U.S. Constitution. The court argued the six-week ban places an undue burden on women’s access to abortion in violation of the constitutional right to abortion established by the cases of Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood and that the reasons ban was unconstitutionally vague.