NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Planned Parenthood officials and activists held a "state of emergency" forum in Nashville. They are raising awareness for the committee hearing on a six-week abortion ban in Tennessee in August.
The fetal heartbeat bill is still alive and advocates with Planned Parenthood are gearing up for the next legislative session to make sure the abortion bill doesn't become law.
"The six-week ban is unconstitutional, it is extreme, it is fiscally irresponsible," Lizzy Thomas, community organizer.
Senate Bill 1236 would ban abortions at six weeks, before most women know they're pregnant. Many people gathered at Planned Parenthood Thursday night to talk about that bill and a slew of others they say go against women's rights, calling it a state of emergency and a public health crisis.
"This bill directly contradicts this landmark decision of Roe V. Wade, said Thomas, "That would ultimately put patients and their families in jeopardy."
The lawmaker behind the legislation says it's all about equal protection especially for the unborn.
"We have organizations that are standing up for the rights of the women and the health of the woman and what I believe is we need to have some way that we can standup for the right of that unborn child," said Senator Mark Pody.
Senator Pody says life starts at conception.
"I believe that unborn child is a human being and deserves all the constitutional rights of anybody else, and that's not being respected at this point," he said.
But proving the constitutionality of the bill will be hard.
"We would anticipate it being challenge in court, and we are trying to make sure that the wording in the constitutionality are sound," said Pody.
The Tennessee State Senate's Judiciary Committee will hold its summer study on a Georgia-style, six-week abortion ban Aug. 12-13.
