Tennessee Right to Life continues our pro-life work each day, regardless of challenges, because innocent lives hang in the balance. As always, we are continuing to educate Tennesseans about the sanctity of human life and advocating for protective public policies. We go forward to promote civic involvement through the work of chapter development, voter registration, and the organization of an effective statewide grassroots movement. And we remain available in the office each day to answer calls seeking abortion information and referrals to life-affirming resources for those facing an unexpected or unplanned pregnancy decision. You can reach us at 615.298.5433. MOVING FORWARD FOR LIFE! Over coming weeks, Tennessee Right to Life chapters will be hosting our annual Pro-Life Oratory Contest for High School Students. The contest is open to all high school students, grades 9 - 12, and provides a unique opportunity to train young pro-life leaders in researching and presenting the pro-life position. Due to the closure of many public facilities, Tennessee Right to Life is providing an alternate means of participating in the local contests. Students can submit a YouTube video of their speech on our website prior to the local contest deadline. The same contest rules apply to live or video speeches. Click here for more information. Continue reading

Tennessee Right to Life's Abortion Pill Reversal Act Passes House Health Committee, Advances to a Vote by Tennessee House of Representatives Contact Your State Representative Today House Bill 2568 sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) would require abortion facilities to display signage informing women that a chemical abortion may be reversed following the first dose of a two-pill protocol and requires a physician to provide the same information during informed consent, 48 hours prior to the abortion procedure. HB 2568 passed the state House Health Committee on Tuesday, March 10 on a voice vote. The bill could now be voted on by the Tennessee House of Representatives as early as next week. Continue reading

Tennessee Right to Life Proposes Bill to Allow Abortion Pill Reversal Information Right to Life proposal seeks to provide life-saving information to women seeking abortion From the moment a woman takes the abortion pill, she has about 72 hours to change her mind and save her baby, because of the proven Abortion Pill Reversal protocol. More than one-third of abortions in the U.S. occur through the "abortion pill." As these numbers continue to rise, we know that no woman should ever feel forced to finish an abortion she regrets. Tennessee Right to Life seeks to ensure that women who are prescribed the abortion pill are given information about the abortion pill reversal protocol. House Bill 2568 sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) and Senate Bill 2465 sponsored by Sen. Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville) would require abortion facilities to display a sign informing women that a chemical abortion may be reversed following the first dose of a two-dose protocol and requires a physician provide the same information during informed consent, 48 hours prior to the abortion. Continue reading

WASHINGTON – Today, February 11, 2020, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" to highlight the need for legislation that would extend federal legal protection to babies who are born alive during an abortion. Senator Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) chaired today's hearing and called for passage of S.130. "Pro-abortion Democrats oppose this bill and they should be forced to explain why their allegiance to the abortion industry's agenda should allow a practice that is tantamount to infanticide," said Jennifer Popik, J.D., legislative director of National Right to Life. "It is outrageous that a born-alive human person may be subjected to lethal violence with impunity or be treated as if she is medical waste." In Senator Sasse's opening remarks, he said, "This hearing is not about overturning Roe v. Wade. In fact, this hearing is not actually about limiting access to abortion at all. This hearing isn't a debate about third-trimester, or second-trimester, or first-trimester abortion. This hearing is about making sure that every newborn baby has a fighting chance—whether she's born in a labor and delivery ward or whether she's born in an abortion clinic." Continue reading

From National Right to Life and Tennessee Right to Life For immediate release: Friday, January 24, 2020 WASHINGTON—Today, President Trump was the first sitting president to address the annual March for Life in person. “President Trump’s support of the pro-life movement is a blessing and encouragement to the millions of pro-lifers all across the United States who spend their time, money, and energy helping women and their children,”said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “His support of the most basic of human rights has made a difference in how our country treats the most vulnerable among us.” In his remarks before tens of thousands of March attendees, President Trump said: Continue reading

For immediate release: Friday, January 24, 2020 For more information: Laura Echevarria, (202) 626-8825, [email protected]   National Right to Life Committee Praises the Trump Administration for Protecting Conscience Rights   WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced action to address California's violations of the Weldon Amendment in which the state has forced employers and health care providers to pay for abortions in health care plans.   "We thank the Trump Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services for protecting the rights of Californians who do not want to pay for or participate in health care plans that pay for abortions," said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. "It is morally abhorrent that the state of California forces its citizens to participate in plans that pay for abortions."   The Weldon Amendment states that funds may not be "made available to a Federal agency or program, or to a State or local government, if such agency, program, or government subjects any institutional or individual health care entity to discrimination on the basis that the health care entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions."   "Health care is designed to save lives and protect our health," Tobias continued. "The state of California's coercive policies have meant that nearly every health insurance plan, no matter if an individual works for a business, a church or religious school, is required to pay for an elective abortion."   Nothing in the Weldon Amendment prevents individuals from purchasing health insurance or health insurance riders that cover abortion. The amendment only prevents federal funds from being distributed to those entities that would force abortion coverage and thereby violate conscience rights.   Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia. # # #

For immediate release: Wednesday, January 22, 2020For more information: Laura Echevarria, (202) 626-8825, [email protected] NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE RELEASES SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT:THE STATE OF ABORTION IN THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON – The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) today released "The State of Abortion in the United States, 2020." In addition to summarizing key legislative developments in the states and at the federal level, the seventh annual report also analyzes data on the annual number of abortions in the United States. The report examines recent actions on the Equal Rights Amendment and dissects the 2018-2019 annual report of the nation's abortion giant, Planned Parenthood. "More than 61 million unborn children have died as a result of the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions," said Carol Tobias, National Right to Life president. "However, through the right-to-life movement's determination to protect mothers and their children, we continue to see evidence that our efforts to educate America about the unborn child's humanity, and our efforts to enact protective pro-life legislation, are having a tremendous impact in moving our nation away from Roe and Doe's deadly legacy." Key highlights from the report include: · Based on data from the Guttmacher Institute and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and estimating figures for subsequent years (2018-2019), National Right to Life now estimates 61,628,584 abortions have been performed in the United States since 1973. · Utilizing data from the Guttmacher Institute and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Right to Life estimates that the number of abortions has dropped to 862,320 annually – the lowest number recorded since 1973, and nearly 800,000 less than the all-time high of 1.6 million in 1990. National Right to Life attributes continued pro-life educational, legislative, and political efforts with much of the overall decline seen over the past 30 years. · State legislatures continue to be successful in enacting pro-life legislation that extends protections to unborn children and helps their mothers. These laws include protections for pain-capable unborn children, laws banning dismemberment abortions of living unborn babies, and efforts to steer state funding away from organizations that perform abortions, such as Planned Parenthood. · Planned Parenthood, which reported over $1.6 billion in revenues in 2018-2019, while posting over $240 million in "excess revenue," is estimated to have made nearly $160 million performing 345,672 abortions – over 40% of all abortions in the United States annually. The report is available from the National Right to Life Communications Department here: http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/communications/stateofabortion2020.pdf. National Right to Life experts, including President Carol Tobias, Director of Education and Research Randall K. O'Bannon, Ph.D., Director of State Legislation Ingrid Duran, and Legislative Director Jennifer Popik, J.D., are available to provide further information about the report and its insights. To arrange an interview, call the NRLC Communications Department at (202) 626-8825 or email [email protected]. Founded in 1968, National Right to Life, the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia. # # #  REPORT: The State of Abortion in the United States, 2020 (PDF)

ACLU, Carafem Abortion Facility File Lawsuit to Perform More Abortions in Mount Juliet NASHVILLE, DECEMBER 19, 2019 - On Wednesday, ACLU, ACLU of Tennessee and Carafem abortion provider filed suit in Middle Tennessee District Court over a zoning ordinance passed by Mount Juliet officals seeking to disallow abortion within city limits. Responding to the pro-abortion lawsuit, the local chapter of Tennessee Right to Life made the following statement: "Wilson County Right to Life is deeply saddened by the fact that Carafem is not only performing medical abortion, but is working toward expanding its abortion services to include surgical abortions in our community through this suit," said Trecia Dillingham, President of Wilson County Right to Life. "We regret that we now share the label of abortion destination along with four other Tennessee communities." Continue reading